Making Waves
by L-Sfarmwmn
Summary: Ranger asks Stephanie to go undercover to catch a jewel thief, and she smells trouble from the start. Aboard a cruise ship, disguised as a wealthy couple, it's clear they are going to make waves. But neither expect the case to muddy the boundaries between them. Will they disembark as more than just occasional lovers? That is, if they live long enough to disembark at all. Babe HEA.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Giant shout out to my beta reader, Cornfedfiddler, who willingly took up the Sisyphean task of fixing my comma mistakes. She's awesome! This fic is rated M for smut. Consider yourself warned.**

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Chapter 1

When I was a kid, I used to play house. Well, my perfect sister, Valerie, would play house. I'd screw it up. Not intentionally. It's just that Val's idea of an ideal home involved her playing the mommy, me playing the daddy, and a couple baby dolls happily seated around a table enjoying an evening meal. To spice it up, I'd improvise a bit. You know, like turn the daddy into Superman. And in the middle of dinner, he'd hear someone calling for help and rush off to save the day. Val would throw a fit, insist I had messed up her idyllic pretend family dinner, and run crying to our mother.

A lot has changed since then. Val's been married —twice— and currently has a dining table surrounded by real children and an acceptably boring husband who never runs off to save the world. I've also been married. For about a minute. Instead of saving the world, my ex used the dining room table to boink another woman.

Since then, I've often felt like I'm still playing house, faking my way through life. Except, instead of being a superhero, I'm a bond enforcement agent. Better known as a bounty hunter. And I still screw up plenty, except now the whole town calls my mother to tell her about it instead of just my sister.

And from the looks of things, she was about to get a mess of calls.

From my perch atop my just-cuffed skip, my eyes tracked the still-burning candle rolling across the floor. It bumped into the edge of a starched olive curtain. I held my breath.

 _Whoosh._

The stiff material ignited like kindling, flames jumping from one window to the next down the entire front of Mama Matuzzi's Italian Restaurant. Around us, the other diners screamed, running for the exits. For a moment, I sat transfixed, caught like a moth to a light. With a squawk, the smoke alarms began to wail. A second later, the sprinkler system activated, the chilly water pulling me out of my daze.

Dammit. There went my chance of mooching dinner off my mother tonight.

With a sigh, I un-straddled my skip, Ronnie Gross. He remained on the floor, groaning, a trickle of blood oozing from his nose after my tackle. Being new to the whole bail-skipping world, I figured he would be an easy capture. Especially after he was dumb enough to check into Mama Matuzzi's on Facebook, advertising his attendance at their special Valentine's Day Afternoon Speed Dating event. What I hadn't counted on was Gross jumping to his feet when I slapped a metal bracelet around his wrist, knocking over his table, and ultimately flinging a lit candle into the curtains.

"Get up!"

"What the…" Gross finally seemed to recover his faculties. He blinked up at the ceiling, as if he couldn't believe what his senses told him.

I tugged on the cuffs and pulled him to his feet, pushing him toward the door. We were the last ones out, completely soaked from the sprinklers. A blast of icy February air hit us as I hustled Gross toward my latest craptastic vehicle. The VIN claimed the car began life as a red Ford Focus. How it had become the half blue, half green sedan currently parked at the edge of the fire lane was a mystery I would likely never solve. Given the current arctic vortex gripping Trenton, all I really carried about was that its heater worked.

As I reached for my keys, I realized my bag remained inside the restaurant, with my cars keys and cell phone inside it. I'd dropped it as I'd wrestled Gross into the cuffs on the floor.

Crap.

Looking back inside, thick smoke filled the space. The sprinklers, having doused the flames, continued to spray water everywhere. A stream flowed out the front door, almost instantly turning the sidewalk and street into an ice skating rink.

Gross and I stood, shivering, next to my car, unable to get into it.

"G-get me s-s-somewhere w-warm!" He demanded.

"M-my k-keys are s-s-till in-inside."

Dammit, I couldn't stop shaking. My clothing grew stiff, literally freezing on my body.

A siren screamed as a ladder truck raced into view, lights flashing. The truck angled into the fire lane, barely braking. Only then did the driver see the ice from the sprinkler run off. And my car. I watched as his eyes widened, panic flashing across his young face. Brakes squealed.

Gross and I jumped away only a few seconds before the firetruck plowed into my rust bucket. Metallic shrieks split the air as the Ford crumpled like an accordion. The force of the collision shoved its front end under the back of the pickup truck parked in the legal space in front.

As the firetruck finally came to a stop, silence hung heavy in the air. Everyone seemed frozen in place, and not by the cold.

 _BOOM!_

My Focus exploded into a ball of flames and everyone scattered. The firemen, their truck hardly even dented, spilled out onto the sidewalk and affixed a hose to the nearby hydrant. They turned the nozzle on my car. Nothing. They considered each other, then the hydrant.

"Damn water line is frozen," one shouted. "Call for the tanker."

Meanwhile, my car burned like a merry little bonfire, flames consuming the entire vehicle. But at least it threw off enough heat to begin thawing my clothes.

 _BOOM!_

The fuel tank of the truck in front of mine ignited, tossing it into the Honda CR-V in front of it. Flames began licking at the CR-V. Horrified, Gross and I watched as the line of vehicles blew up like pyrotechnic dominoes. One after another, all the way down the block, while the poor firemen scrambled around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Trenton PD and EMTs arrived in time to catch the tail end of the fireworks display. A female EMT wrapped a silver thermal blanket around my shoulders. She looked at Gross, down at his handcuffed wrists, then over at me, eyebrows climbing into her hairline.

"Bond enforcement," I explained dryly as she draped another blanket over him.

The air pressure changed, a familiar tingling raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Turning, I saw Ranger parting the sea of first responders, his steps quick, just barely below a run. A caramel-skinned Cuban sex god made mortal, he'd been my mentor when I first stumbled into my bounty hunting career. Now our relationship, if you could even call it that, hovered in the murky no-mans-land between occasional lovers and something more. His eyes focused on the warped shell that remained of my car. Then he turned and caught my gaze, the tension immediately easing off his shoulders.

"I'm okay," I said as soon as he fell into ear shot.

He closed the final distance between us and ran his hands down my torso anyway, seeing for himself that I remained in one piece. "Babe, you're soaked."

I nodded toward Mama Matuzzi's. With the front door now propped open, huge fans blew the remaining smoke outside. "Automatic sprinklers. It wasn't my fault."

The corners of Ranger's lips twitched.

"My skip knocked over a table when I tried to cuff him, and the candle caught the curtains on fire. I managed to get him out but left my purse with my cell phone and keys inside."

Somehow, Ranger managed to suppress the smile threatening to shatter his carefully constructed blank face. "That explains why you weren't answering your phone. And your car?"

"Not my fault either. The firetruck slid on the ice from the sprinkler run off and smashed into the back of it. Set off a series of explosions."

Ranger's face remained stoic, though laughter danced behind his brown eyes, which only now slid over to Gross. "Want help getting him to the station?"

"Please."

"Before I turn into a popsicle," Gross muttered. "I can't feel my toes. What if I have frost bite? What if they turn blue and fall off?"

"It's your own fault for starting the fire."

"No, it's your fault. Who crashes a speed dating event? Where's the love? On Valentine's Day, of all days!"

"Enough." Ranger fixed Gross with a scathing stare. "If I hear another word from you, losing toes will be the least of your worries."

Gross gulped visibly and shut up. Ranger got permission from the nearest cop to clear us from the scene. Then he tracked down a fireman, who scurried inside the restaurant and reemerged with my dripping messenger bag.

Ranger led us to his black Porsche Cayenne, parked three blocks away, engine still warm from his drive here. Sitting on the thermal blanket to protect the upholstery, I directed every vent on the dash to blow heat in my direction and willed my teeth to stop chattering. Catching sight of myself in the side mirror, I grimaced. My blue lips and frost covered hair made me look like a demented Elsa from Frozen.

Ranger stayed with the Cayenne while I walked Gross inside the police station. I watched for my ex-boyfriend and vice cop, Joe Morelli, from the corner of my eye. Since he hadn't shown up at the scene of my latest disaster, I felt sure he would ambush me at the station. After a month, my blood still boiled whenever I thought of our last fight. But by the time Gross was processed and I received my body receipt, there was still no sign of him.

"Where to?" Ranger asked as I hopped back in next to him.

I looked at the receipt clutched in my fist and considered my options. I could go to the bonds office and get Connie to cut me a check, but it was unlikely I'd make it to the bank to cash it before they closed. Not to mention, my wet clothes clung uncomfortably to my body and my shoes squished with every step. At least I'd thawed enough to no longer resemble an ice queen.

"Home. All I want is a nice hot shower. Then I have plans for a ménage-et-trois with an extra-large pizza and a bottle of wine."

Being single on Valentine's Day sucked. Even more so because even Lula managed to find a date for tonight. One hot enough she'd ditched me to begin primping after lunch.

"Babe." The word rode the coattails of a laugh as Ranger's rare smile lit up the car. "You never disappoint."

He leaned across the console, planting a scorching kiss on my lips that gave me ideas about a ménage-et-quatre.

Ranger found a spot at the very front of the lot behind my drab, red-brick, three-story apartment building. He retrieved my messenger bag from the cargo area, where it had been resting on a plastic tarp to avoid soaking the interior and followed me upstairs and through the door of my apartment. I flicked the switch to turn on the kitchen light. Nothing happened. I toggled the switch repeatedly. No light.

"Bulb must have blown," I mumbled.

Ranger plucked a piece of paper off the floor in front of my door. "Babe, when was the last time you paid your electric bill?"

"I might be a little behind. Why? Are they threatening to turn off my power again?"

The arctic cold had put a serious dent in my income. No one was skipping bail because no one was committing petty crimes. It was too damn cold. And those who did get arrested didn't want to leave jail. Half the apartments on Stark Street had no heat. The prison did.

I could see the tiniest hint of his smile in the fading daylight from my living room window.

"More than threatening, Babe. They cut you off."

"What?" I grabbed the paper from his hands and read it twice. I looked around, disbelieving. No numbers on my microwave. Refrigerator eerily silent. "Seriously? What kind of Scrooge-run company turns your electric off on Valentine's Day? That's just not right. Where's the love?"

His smile grew.

"Don't look at me like that." I jabbed a finger into his chiseled chest. "Gross was different. He made the bad choice not to appear in court. I have an obligation to society to return him to police custody." I threw my hands up in disgust. "What am I supposed to do? I have _electric_ heat! What about the food in the fridge?"

His eyes flicked to the useless appliance. "Do you actually have food in the fridge?"

"That's beside the point."

No. Of course there was no real food in the fridge. If I had money to buy food, I would have paid the damn electric bill. But it was the principle of the thing.

"Babe."

"Ugh. Why couldn't they have waited just one more day? One day! I have the money now." I waved my body receipt in the air like a raving lunatic. "I'm sure if I call them and promise to pay it tomorrow, they'll come turn my electric back on. Right?"

Okay, so I know that's not how the world works, but I dug for my cell phone anyway. Everything in my messenger bag was soaked. My fingers closed around my cell phone and I pressed the power button. Nothing. Might as well be holding a brick. Maybe if I went out and got some rice…I reached for my car key, only to remember the car no longer existed.

I wiped my phone on a dish towel and tried the power button again. Please. Please just throw me this one bone. Please, please, please.

I didn't realize I'd begged out loud until Ranger gently took the phone from my trembling hands. "Babe, it's dead," he whispered.

My eyes burned as I blinked back the sudden tears. This was it. Rock bottom. No money. No car. No phone. No electricity. Sopping clothes. "My mother is right. I'm a mess!" I wailed.

As the first tears slid down my cheeks, Ranger pulled me against him. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt like my life depended on it. Big ugly sobs racked my body. He rubbed gentle circles on my back. Saying nothing, he just let my emotions run their course.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered as I wiped the final tears away, aghast at the large wet spot spreading across Ranger's shirt.

"Nothing to apologize for, Steph." He caressed the side of my face softly. "Feeling better?"

I nodded. "I think I have some candles, somewhere. That'll get me through the night. Then, tomorrow, I'll get my check from Connie and get my power back on."

There might even be enough left over for a new phone. A cheap one. The kind I bought out of the trunk of a sketchy looking guy on Stark Street.

Ranger shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone with no power, no heat, no phone, and no car. You can spend the night with me."

My eyebrows rose as a flash of heat spontaneously manifested in my chest and shot southward. Okay. Maybe rock bottom wasn't so bad. Not if it came with thousand-thread-count sheets and the possibility of Ranger induced orgasms.

"What about Rex? I can't leave him here with no heat."

"Bring him," Ranger replied. "Do you need to grab anything else, or are you okay with what Ella has for you at my place?"

What Ranger's housekeeper, Ella, had for me at his place consisted almost entirely of solid black, and she'd sewn "Rangeman" onto everything. And I mean _everything_. I owed a lot to Ranger, including my life on several occasions. Still, I had trouble walking around with his name stitched into my unmentionables. A girl needed some commitment, maybe even a ring, before being comfortable with a guy's name on her ass. And while Ranger did many things, commitment wasn't one of them.

"I'll just be a minute."

I hurried into my bedroom and haphazardly tossed a couple outfits into a clothes basket, before adding underwear, bras, dry sneakers, and socks. From the bathroom I gathered my toothbrush, makeup, hair products, and my blow dryer. Then I carefully balanced Rex's glass aquarium on the top.

"Ready," I announced to Ranger.

He plucked my messenger bag off the floor and led me back outside. Ranger's "place" was the penthouse apartment of the seven-story building he owned on Haywood Street in downtown Trenton. The other six-stories were occupied by his high-tech security business, Rangeman. I tried not to imagine what the men watching the monitors must be thinking after we parked in the secured underground garage and walked toward the elevator. I'm sure they'd already heard all about my misadventure this afternoon thanks to the chatter on the police bands.

I settled Rex onto Ranger's pristine marble kitchen countertop, then announced, "I'm overdue for a shower."

Ranger's eyes darkened. "Need any help?"

Tempting. Very, very tempting. But I had a list of problems a mile long right now, and I didn't need to add any post-sex-with-Ranger guilt to it.

"If I do, I know where to find you."

Twenty minutes later, I'd begun to prune even though the seemingly endless supply of hot water still ran strong. Turning off the shower, I towel dried my hair then made my way to Ranger's walk-in closet. I emerged in comfortable well-worn jeans and a soft faux-angora sweater.

I found Ranger in his study, typing a response to an e-mail. He pressed send as I entered, then pushed back from his desk and stood, eyes sweeping across me in a way that made me feel like I were still naked.

"Feeling better after your shower?"

"Yes. Thank you for letting me stay."

"You are welcome anytime, Babe, it's why you have a key. Ella has the night off, so we'll go out for dinner."

"You know it's Valentine's Day, right? Every restaurant will be booked solid, with hour long waits."

The way his lips curled upward made me think he was internally laughing at my naivety.

"Not for me. As long as you don't mind mixing business with pleasure?"

The way he uttered the words set my skin on fire. I nodded dumbly, mind completely absorbed by the pleasure aspect.

Padding into the kitchen, I began to sort through my soggy bag, currently residing in the kitchen sink, to see what I could salvage. My cell phone seemed to be missing.

"Did you put my phone in rice?" I called to Ranger.

"No. The trash," he replied, walking in. He plucked a sleek, shiny, black iPhone from the island and handed it to me. "I had this lying around. I already transferred your SIM card."

I looked at the mind bogglingly expensive piece of technology, jaw on the floor. "You keep nine-hundred-dollar cell phones just lying around?"

"I always have a spare, in case mine breaks."

My eyebrows knitted together. "When was the last time _you_ broke a cell phone?" Ranger never broke anything he didn't intend to destroy.

Without missing a beat, Ranger answered. "When I dove off a bridge into the Delaware after you." His lips twitched. "Coincidentally, that's also when I began keeping a spare."

"As soon as I buy a new phone tomorrow, I'll give this back. Promise."

"Babe, worry about getting your electric back on and food in your fridge. Use the phone for as long as you need."

I'd heard those words before, except they were usually attached to a shiny new set of wheels. And what Ranger implied when he said it was, "use it until you destroy it."

"You've got insurance on this, right?"

That got him to crack a smile. "Comprehensive. Drops, spills, accident prone bounty hunters. Covered." Carefully, he picked the phone from my fingers and laid it back on the island. Then he grabbed my hips and pulled me into him, his mouth warm and eager against mine.

About the time his hands slipped under my bra, chasing away all my earlier reservations about sleeping with him, my fancy new phone rang.

"Ignore it," he urged, thumbs teasing my peaked nipples, drawing a low moan from me.

And ignore it I did, until it began ringing again. "What if it's my mother, checking to make sure I didn't die in a fiery car explosion?"

Something that sounded suspiciously like a sigh escaped Ranger's lips, and he took a single step back. I snatched the phone from the counter, but the three letters splashed across the screen didn't spell M-O-M. They spelled J-O-E.

"You should answer it," Ranger said gruffly, his eyes flicking from the screen to my face before he stalked from the kitchen.

I contemplated sending the call to voicemail, turning off the phone, and then dragging Ranger between his gazillion-thread-count sheets. But in the end, I swiped the green circle and lifted the phone to my ear. "Hello."

A relieved exhale greeted me. "Are you okay?"

"You heard about Mama Matuzzi's, huh?"

"I heard your car blew up and started a chain reaction that took out five other vehicles, but I got held up at a triple homicide inside one of the drug dens on Stark Street. I've been calling for the last hour, worried sick as to why you weren't answering."

Something that sounded suspiciously like a bottle of Tums rattled in the background. Morelli made it no secret that my escapades gave him indigestion.

"Sorry. My phone got soaked and I just got my SIM card into a new one."

"I tried stopping by your apartment. None of the lights work and Rex is gone."

"Yeah…" I drew out the word. "There was a minor mix-up at the electric company. The lights will be back on tomorrow, but with no heat I've made alternate accommodations for tonight."

Morelli groaned. "You'd better be at your mother's."

"And what if I'm not?" The tone of his voice raised my hackles. "We broke up, Joe. I can spend the night wherever I damn well please."

"We didn't break up. You walked out because you're ridiculous."

"I walked out because you cancelled our date night, claiming there'd been a homicide, when you were really going to poker night at your brother's!"

Morelli sighed. "How many times do I need to apologize for that? I'm sorry. Alright?"

"No, it's not alright," I snapped.

"Come on, Cupcake. You wanted to drag me to that chick flick. You know I hate those movies."

It hit me like a fist to the chest. The only thing Morelli was sorry for was the fact I'd caught him in his lie. And the fact I'd cut him off from sex for the past month. Next time I wanted to do something that didn't interest him, he'd come up with another excuse. God, how many times had he already done it and I never knew? All those times a convenient murder occurred…

I saw red, and before I could truly consider my next words, they flew from my lips. "Well, Joe, guess what. You won't have to worry about ever seeing a chick flick with me again, because it's over." I ended the call with a sharp jab of my finger and stopped myself just short of smashing the iPhone off the kitchen counter.

That's the one thing I missed about old fashioned land lines. Slamming down the receiver to hang up on someone felt so much more satisfying.

For a couple seconds I just stood there, chest heaving. I'd been yelling at the end. There was no way Ranger hadn't overheard it.

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A few minutes after six, I emerged from Ranger's bathroom, face freshly made up, hair tamed, toes squeezed into 4-inch FMPs, and a black long-sleeved Ralph Lauren wrap dress hugging every curve of my body. I'd found it in the Stephanie section of Ranger's closet, and the seasonal appropriateness made me question when Ella had purchased it and what kind of sixth sense she possessed to know I'd need it. And, wonder of wonders, she hadn't branded it with the Rangeman logo.

Ranger turned at my approach, eyes appraising me for a second before a wolfish smile broke across his face. Black dress pants hung low on his hips, black button-down dress shirt tucked into the waist with nary a wrinkle to be seen. With the top two buttons undone, he looked like he'd just walked out of a Times Square billboard. Based on the heat flash cauterizing my veins, I didn't think I'd require a coat to keep warm outside.

"Will this meet the restaurant's dress code?" I asked nervously, tugging at the snug hemline hitting a few inches above my knees. Ranger refused to divulge our destination, other than to imply it's a fancy establishment with a dress policy. In Trenton, that could mean anything from jeans without holes to tuxedos and ball gowns.

He gave an affirmative growl as he closed the gap between us, running his index finger down one side of the plunging V-neckline, raising goosebumps on my flesh. "It's missing something."

"If you're planning to say your hands inside it, I've heard that one before," I replied dryly.

Laughter ignited behind his dark eyes. "Let's save that for later. I had something else in mind."

He strolled back into his closet. I followed, curious, and caught him tapping in the code to the small safe he kept there. He did tell me this dinner mixed business with pleasure. Was he going to ask me to carry a gun? Where the heck would I put it?

Instead of a weapon, Ranger withdrew a large, rectangular, black velvet box. Cracking the hinges, he revealed a stunning necklace strung with more teardrop diamonds than I could count. The modern design was unlike anything I'd ever seen. There was no clasp. In fact, the necklace didn't even complete a whole loop. Instead, the smallest diamonds started in the hollow of the throat, a sparkling chain growing incrementally larger as they circled around the neck before plunging downward on the other side, culminating with several massive teardrop diamonds.

My jaw hit the floor. "You bought me diamonds?" Hysteria tinged my tone.

The corners of his lips twitched. "More like borrowed."

"It's stolen?" My voice hit a new octave.

That drew forth a low chuckle. "Babe."

Okay, not stolen. "Then what the heck does borrowed mean?"

"You'll understand in a bit. I have a business proposition I'd like to discuss over dinner."

"And it has to do with jewelry?"

"Yes. May I?" Lifting the necklace from its case, he motioned to my bare neckline.

With a gulp, I nodded, not wanting to know how much money he was about to drape around my neck. Ranger brushed aside my hair, tamed into sleek curls, and gently laid the necklace onto my skin, the diamonds icy against my flesh.

He turned me, so I could admire it in the full-length mirror, then stepped away and retrieved a much smaller box from the safe before returning to me. Gently, he slid matching earrings into my lobes. I gazed at our reflections, Ranger standing just behind me, his hand on my waist. Even I had to admit, tonight we made one gorgeous, sophisticated couple.

A vision swam into my mind of a future where this wasn't just some charade for the evening. One where gold bands graced both our ring fingers. One Ranger had made unequivocally clear we could never have. One I'd never even thought to hope to consider. And yet there it was, staring me in the face temptingly.

My face flushed as I shook away the notion. A product of the day, I told myself. Nothing more than a fanciful dream conjured up by all the pink hearts and confetti of Valentine's Day.

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AN: I'll be posting a new chapter every couple of days. Please drop me a review and let me know what you thought about chapter 1. Nothing brightens my day and encourages me to keep writing like reading the reviews from my lovely readers.

I'm doing something for this fic I've never done before: making a pinterest board for it. So if you would like to see a picture of the diamond necklace described in this chapter, please check out my Making Waves pinterest board. Full link can be found in my author's profile or if you'd like, you can cobble it together from the description below, since I can't post links into the story.

pinterest.c o m

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	2. Chapter 2

AN: Since so many of you showered my inbox with lovely review and subscription alerts, I thought you deserved Chapter 2 post haste. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind words and excitement about this fic. Once again, many thanks to cornfedfiddler for beta reading for me. FYI, this chapter really lives up to the M rating.

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Chapter 2

Just after seven, I found myself staring across a cozy, candle lit table for two inside Le Rossignol, a new French fusion restaurant which opened to rave reviews, a five-star rating, and matching price tag.

"I can't believe you managed to get us into this place. Lucille's been bugging Vinnie to take her, so he pawned it off on Connie to call to get a reservation. The soonest she could get is after Easter."

"Rangeman installed a custom security system for the owner. I had a standing invite."

Our waiter reappeared with the very French sounding bottle of wine Ranger had ordered as we sat down. He filled our glasses and asked if we were ready to order.

Panic filled me as I glanced down at the menu. Most of the items were in French, and the English description below them didn't make a whole lot more sense. Poisson Du Marche. Paleron De Boeuf Ou Faux Filet Frites. I guessed none of it translated to 'burger and fries.'

I jumped as Ranger's fingers gently brushed across my right hand. "Babe, would you like me to order for you?"

Meeting his soft gaze, I found no derision in his eyes. He was honestly throwing me a lifeline.

"Yes. Thank you." My menu dropped softly onto the immaculately pressed white tablecloth as Ranger placed our order, the French words dripping off his tongue.

Swallowing back the bitter laugh attempting to claw its way out of my throat, I watched the waiter walk away. Here I was, playing house again. Completely out of my league. You could dress me up and drape diamonds around my neck, but beneath it all was just a bumbling Jersey girl praying she'd make it through dinner without making headlines. After all, I'd already set fire to one restaurant today.

"Thank you for dinner," I muttered to Ranger. "I don't deserve a place this nice."

Like lightening, Ranger's hand shot across the table to capture mine. He pressed his soft lips to the back of my knuckles, fingers squeezing mine reassuringly. "You're right." My jaw promptly unhinged. "You deserve more than this. Much, much more." A nearly imperceptible tremor shook his hand.

He broke contact with me to grasp his wine glass, lifting it into the air as just a hint of a smile passed his lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, Steph."

Automatically, I mimicked his actions. A tinkling chime echoed between us as our glasses clinked softly. I sipped at the white wine, the perfect balance between dry and sweet.

"I believe you had a business proposition for me," I said before bringing the glass to my lips for another sip.

He nodded once. "How would you like to be my girlfriend?"

I choked. My eyebrows skittered into my hairline. No way I heard Ranger correctly. Quickly, I placed my wine glass on the table and dabbed at my lips with the napkin. "Sorry, run that by me again."

Ranger's lips twisted upward. "You heard me right the first time, Babe."

His girlfriend? With mister non-committal? "What's the catch?" I finally returned, eyes narrowed.

"We'll have nine days to lure, identify, and catch an international jewel thief and any of his or her accomplices."

I laughed dryly and gulped more of the wine. "Oh, is that all? And here I thought it might be something hard."

A sardonic half smile moved across his face. "Well, we'll have to do it all while undercover on a cruise ship, with limited resources from Rangeman."

"See, now we're talking." I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay, seriously, start from the beginning on this one."

CEO Ranger descended upon me, his face a mask of professionalism as he took another sip of wine. "A couple months ago, a major cruise line contacted me. Someone has been pilfering jewelry from the passengers sailing to the Caribbean out of Cape Liberty. It's not an isolated incident, so the president of the cruise line suspects it to be one of his employees. However, their internal security team has come up with nothing. A problem further compounded by the fact that the thefts were not discovered and reported back to the cruise line until several months after the passengers disembarked."

"Gee, must be nice to be rich enough to not notice your jewelry missing for several months."

"That's where this takes an interesting turn. It's not the entire piece of jewelry being stolen. Instead, the stones are removed and replaced with remarkably crafted fakes." He nodded toward the necklace currently adorning my neck. "Took the owner nearly six months to realize her diamond necklace was now cubic zirconia, and that was only because she noticed a loose setting and took it into a jeweler to be repaired."

My fingers flew to the stunning necklace. "These aren't real diamonds?"

Ranger shook his head. "Not anymore. The owner allowed me to borrow it so that I could examine the handiwork for myself."

"So, it's worthless?"

"Depends on your definition of worthless. It's still several hundred dollars of cubic zirconia in silver settings. But compared to the tens of thousands of dollars of diamonds it used to hold…"

"Worthless," I mouthed.

"Yeah. Pretty much," he admitted with a shrug.

"Okay. So why is the cruise line coming to you with this? It sounds more like a job for the FBI, seeing as the thefts have already occurred."

"So far, the cruise line has managed to keep this quiet by making amends to impacted customers. And they'd like to keep it that way. That's what Rangeman can offer over the FBI: complete discretion. That, and the captain of the ship in question recommended me by name to the company president."

My eyebrows rose. "You know a cruise ship captain?"

"Theo Davis. Former Navy Seal. We worked a few missions together."

"And now he's the captain of a cruise ship?"

"He retired and went into the private sector. Thought it would be a relaxing change of pace."

I lifted my wine glass to my mouth again. "Yeah. How'd that work out?"

Amusement shone in Ranger's eyes. "As far as I can tell, he's bored beyond words." The humor faded. "But he runs a tight ship, and he's pissed one of his crew would stoop to this, so he's asked me to do this as a special favor. His reputation and that of the entire cruise line is at stake here. If this goes public, it could quickly become a PR nightmare."

"And you honestly think you and I can solve this in a little over a week when their own security people are baffled?" I asked, wide eyed.

Ranged nodded. "Not only do I think so, I'm staking quite a bit of money on that outcome. The cruise line has agreed to assist us in going undercover. In addition to paying my going rate regardless of the outcome, they will provide us with their best suite and VIP treatment in exchange for the jewel thief by the time we dock back in Cape Liberty nine days later. If we don't deliver, Rangeman will receive an incredibly large bill for what will amount to nothing more than a very expensive vacation."

"And you're sure you want to bring me along on this?" My fingers tapped the tabletop nervously. We'd once attempted to go undercover as a married couple to snag a skip in Hawaii. We'd ended up spending more time under the covers and the trip ended in disaster, heartache, and me stun gunning the two men in my life. "Do you remember what happened in Hawaii?"

Ranger's eyes darkened dramatically, black swallowing the brown nearly instantaneously. "Babe, I still dream about what happened in Hawaii."

Lava coursed through my limbs. I didn't think he was referring to his fistfight with Morelli. I had to swallow a few times before I could find words again. "That's what I mean. We were too distracted by each other and our skip got away."

"Lesson learned," Ranger replied with a wry smile. "It won't happen again."

"Okay, but I'm still not clear on how I'm going to be a big help in finding a jewel thief. I know next to nothing about jewelry." I touched the necklace around my neck. "I didn't even realize this one was fake."

"You don't need to know anything about jewelry, you just have to wear it. Make it look good."

"Good enough to steal?"

Ranger grinned. "Exactly. The cruise line can't fill their guest suites with hidden cameras. We can. We're going to pass ourselves off as an incredibly wealthy couple, too irresistible for the thief to resist. Then, it's just a matter of catching him or her on camera."

My lips pulled into a thin line. "You don't really think it will be that easy, do you?"

Ranger shrugged. "I can hope. But if it's not, I'll have a few other tricks up my sleeve. So, are you in? You'll be paid your standard rate."

Not to mention the giant bonus of sharing a cruise ship suite with Ranger for nine days. And God knew, I could use the money. "When do we leave?"

"At the end of the month. I'll have Ella buy and pack everything you will need."

My eyes widened. "That's not necessary. I can scrounge up enough clothes for a cruise."

"Babe." Amusement flitted across his face. "Nothing against your wardrobe, but we'll be staying in a suite that normally costs ten grand a night. The names on every label touching your skin will need to reflect that if we're going to pull this off."

My jaw hit the tabletop momentarily. "You're joking? Ten grand a night? And Rangeman will need to pick up the tab if we don't nab the jewel thief?" I grabbed my wine glass and drained it, then shook my head. "Ranger, you just had to order my meal for me because I didn't understand a thing on the menu. I do bimbo well, not heiress. Clearly, this jewel thief is no amateur. He or she will see right through me!"

Ranger's shoulders tensed as his lips drew a thin line. "And here I was, under the impression I'd asked Stephanie Plum to dinner, not Helen Plum."

Only shocked silence hung between us for several seconds as my mouth repeatedly opened and closed, but no words came out. Ranger just stared back at me, relaxed to a casual observer, though I could tell he was seething.

"What?" I finally managed to mumble. Had he really just accused me of being my mother? The fact I _wasn't_ my mother was the source of most of my arguments with Morelli.

Before Ranger could reply, our food arrived. The waiter refilled my wine glass before backing away. I looked down at my plate, which appeared to be some sort of steak and potatoes dish. Ranger knew me well. I picked up my fork and knife, then glanced across the table at Ranger, who hadn't even touched his flatware to begin digging into the fish on his plate.

"I'm insulted, Babe." His voice crept along my spine like ice.

I dropped my fork with a clatter. "You're insulted? You just called me my mother!"

"Yes, insulted." He leaned forward, voice falling. "When have you ever known me to surround myself with incapable people? In the military, my life depended on it. Now, my livelihood. For you to suggest otherwise mocks me."

Blinking, I tried to formulate a response. There might have been a compliment hidden in there somewhere.

Ranger shook his head as his features softened. "Believe in yourself, Babe. Stop listening to your mother."

"But she's my mother."

A sound very similar to a sigh escaped his lips. "Babe, I'm a man not used to being questioned. I say you can do this. Can we leave it at that and enjoy our meal?"

I nodded, and Ranger pulled back, sitting straighter in his seat so that he could begin eating. I forked a potato off my plate and popped it into my mouth. Delicious. I sliced off a bite of perfectly cooked beef, pink and juicy in the middle, and chewed. It practically melted in my mouth.

Ranger looked over at me through his dark lashes, a half smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward.

"What?" I inquired between bites.

"I've never been envious of a steak before." My face must have betrayed my confused thoughts, because he elaborated. "You're moaning. Rather loudly."

A flush shot through my cheeks. "Sorry. It's just really good."

Without missing a beat, Ranger replied, "Just wait for dessert."

From the simmering look he gave me, his eyes dark, the dessert he had in mind wouldn't be ordered off the menu. The heat in my face suddenly shifted much farther south.

* * *

Ranger backed his Cayenne into its spot in the Rangeman garage, then hopped out. He crossed to my side and opened my door, offering me his hand as I put one unsteady heeled foot onto the pavement. My wine glass at dinner seemed to magically refill itself, so that by the time we'd left I was feeling pleasantly tipsy.

One of his arms snaked around my waist, pulling me tight against him as we crossed to the elevator. He waved his fob across the reader and the door slid closed, motor humming lightly as it lifted us toward seven. Ranger's fingers kneaded the skin on my hip through the dress, sending pleasant tingles radiating in every direction.

"Thank you for dinner," I murmured, my head leaning against his shoulder.

"The pleasure was all mine, Babe."

Blame it on the wine, but my next sentence slipped out before my brain-to-mouth filter could intercept it. "A girl could get used to that sort of treatment. Morelli would never take me somewhere that nice."

And it had nothing to do with an inability to afford it. Morelli was, and always would be, more of a sports bar kind of guy.

On my hip, Ranger's fingers froze, tensing. His other hand hit the button on his keyring that scrambled the elevator cameras. "I meant what I said at dinner, that you deserve more. You know I love you, Steph." He stopped at my sharp intake of breath, looking down at me with something akin to sorrow swimming behind his chocolate eyes. "And it kills me that I can't give you what you should have. I don't know if I'll ever be able to provide it and I don't expect you to wait. But for the rest of tonight, can we just pretend?"

"Pretend?" I struggled to keep up with his logic.

A soft finger traced the curve of my jaw line, his eyes imploring. "Indulge me, Babe. For the rest of the night, let's ignore that I'm one screwed up S.O.B. and pretend we're like any normal couple celebrating Valentine's Day."

"I'm not sure that's such a great idea," I stuttered.

My emotions were muddy enough when it came to Ranger. My vision from earlier swam into my mind again. It was getting too hard to separate the fictional from the real. And considering the job he'd just invited me to participate on, confusion between us could lead nowhere good.

"Please." His lips whispered it into my ear, emotion cracking the syllables.

That one simple word was my undoing.

"Okay." I watched his face light up, but I put a finger to his lips before they could brush against mine. "But if we're pretending we're like any normal couple, this is going to be more than just sex."

His eyebrows twitched, the only sign of his surprise I could see. "What do you have in mind?"

Surely, it was the alcohol fueling my bravery, because I don't think I'd ever have the nerve to demand this of Ranger otherwise. "You can have your way with my body, but in exchange, I want you to share three things about yourself that I don't know. And I don't mean trivial things, like your favorite color is chartreuse or something. Real couples don't keep each other at an emotional arm's length."

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open on seven.

"Deal."

The deep huskiness of his voice lit a fire in my belly. He guided me to his door, stopping just inside to drop his keys and cell phone into the bowl on the credenza. Then he reached behind his right hip, untucked his shirt, and pulled out a holstered Glock, carefully placing it on the sideboard as well.

When his attention swung back to me, his eyes were as black as his dress shirt. One hand slid into my curls as his lips crashed onto mine. My back collided with the wall as Ranger pressed into me, his leg sliding between mine. I parted my lips and he wasted no time accepting the invitation, his tongue coaxing forth a breathy moan as my fingers fisted the front of his shirt.

His hands meandered down my hips to the hem of my skirt before slipping beneath. Walking his fingers up my thighs, trails of fire flowed in his wake, electrifying every inch of skin. I was panting well before his digits brushed against the thin material of the thong I'd donned earlier. A groan rose from deep in his chest as he cupped me through the damp material, my arousal clear to him.

"Babe." My name rang, barely audible on his breathy exhale as his lips moved to my neck. His left hand slid under my thigh, lifting my leg onto his hip, opening my core to his roaming fingers.

I gasped as one of his fingers worked around my ruined panties to bury itself inside me. When he added a second, my head fell back with the hoarse cry that tore from my lungs. His thumb began to circle my clit, and my hips moved opposite his hand, grinding myself onto him.

His free hand roved upward, caressing the swell of my right breast through the fabric before diving into the deep neckline to free it from both my bra and the dress. His hand squeezed the mound of flesh gently, toying with my peaked nipped as his lips kissed down the line of fake diamonds. All the while his magic fingers continued their relentless strokes between my legs. His garbled name oozed from my lips, mixed with so many moans I could barely pull enough oxygen into my lungs.

He read my body like a book, responding to each breathy mewl until I quivered on the edge of release, practically begging him to throw me over the edge. His mouth finally found its way onto my aching breast, and as his teeth bit down ever so gently on the taunt nipple, I screamed his name into the night.

His fingers slowed with my spasms, my body slumping against his as the wave of ecstasy finally ebbed. He withdrew those magical digits, and I watched wide eyed as he put both into his mouth and sucked them clean. Dessert indeed. And I had a sneaky suspicion that was just the first course.

"We had a deal," I managed to gasp a minute later. "Three truths."

The wolfish grin that flashed across his face sent a delicious shiver down my spine.

"I haven't forgotten, Babe."

He stepped back and I somehow managed to balance on my own. Ranger performed a slow scan of my body, amusement dancing behind his dark eyes, and I looked down at my thoroughly disheveled state. One breast hung out of my neckline, skirt tugged up around my waist, frizzed hair falling across my vision. I was a centerfold for "thoroughly fucked." Quickly, I tucked my errant boob back into place and pulled down my hem.

Ranger took my hand and tugged me toward the bedroom.

"Am I getting that first truth anytime soon?"

"How much do you trust me, Babe?"

That threw me. What could he possibly be planning to tell me that would warrant that preface? "With my life. You know that."

"Wait here."

Something dark flashed behind his eyes. For just a second my fight or flight reflex sparked to life, suggesting flight as a good option. Maybe my alteration to our little game of house tonight was not wise. Did I really want Batman's deepest, darkest secrets?

Ranger disappeared into his immense walk-in closet, leaving me alone with my thoughts in his bedroom. From within, I heard the rubbing of wood as a drawer opened and closed. A second later, Ranger reemerged, a set of shiny silver handcuffs dangling from his right index finger. I looked at them and gulped visibly.

"Truth one," he said huskily, black eyes boring into mine. "Ever since you were handcuffed to your shower rod and called me to release you, I've fantasized about using these on you in bed."

The cuffs jangled lightly as I squinted at them. I had a propensity for misplacing handcuffs from my very first day as a bounty hunter. I'd always assumed I simply lost the pair Morelli used to chain me to my own curtain rod. Now, a sneaky suspicion filled my mind that Ranger had pilfered them.

"It's a thought that's kept me warm on more than one cold night when I was deployed," he added. "And tonight, I plan to make it a reality."

* * *

AN: A little smut cliffie for you. I promise chapter 3 picks up right where this leaves off. Will Steph really agree to it? Let me know in a review how badly you want to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Shout out to cornfedfiddler for beta reading. If you are looking for a fun Babe fic, check out her complete Plum Sweet story. Also, thank you everyone for all your lovely reviews. As one of you put it, things are about to get hot...

* * *

Chapter 3

All I could do was stare at Ranger, agape. This was what I got for demanding three truths without any sort of qualifiers. He'd just confessed he'd always fantasized about handcuffing me in bed and, based on our agreement, it totally qualified as him telling me something about himself I didn't know.

And now, there he stood, expecting to be allowed to restrain me to the headboard.

The fear must have shown on my face, because he asked again, "Do you trust me, Babe?"

I licked my dry lips. "I've never…" My speech faltered. Joe had asked, but I'd always flat out refused. Bondage didn't light my fire. In fact, the idea of being that powerless scared the crap out of me.

Ranger set the handcuffs on his dresser and crossed to me, wrapping me in his strong arms. "You know I'd never hurt you, right? If it becomes too much, all you have to say is stop." He held up a silver handcuff key, then stepped over to the nightstand and placed it on the top with a click. "I can have them off in seconds."

The sight of the key slowed my racing heart somewhat. I glanced over at the bed, trying to imagine myself, hands bound above my head, writhing as Ranger did unspeakably sinful things to my body. Warmth began to pool between my legs as my heart rate took off like rocket once more, but for an entirely different reason.

"Okay," I croaked, trepidation and excitement battling for supremacy in my body.

Ranger crushed me against him a second later, mouth greedily falling on mine as he worked down the zipper on the back of my dress. I shrugged off the shoulders, the material pooling at my feet. Deftly, Ranger released the clasp of my bra and it joined my dress. His hands rose to cup both my breasts, fondling them roughly as I moaned into his mouth.

When he finally pulled his lips from mine, both sucking in much needed air, I began to work my fingers down the line of buttons on his dress shirt. He watched my slow progress with a half-smile, pupils wide as he continued to play with my breasts. His shirt joined the growing pile of apparel on the floor as he hooked his thumbs under the elastic of my thong. He shimmied it down and I stepped out of it, leaving me naked except for the aptly named fuck-me heels and borrowed jewelry.

For a few seconds, I thought he might keep me in both as his hungry eyes drank in the sight before him. Then his nimble fingers gently lifted the gems from my neck before plucking the earrings from my lobes. He stepped away, carefully resting the jewelry atop the dresser. Returning, he dropped to a crouch, warm fingers running down the backs of my calves until he gripped the back of the stilettos.

"We might have some fun with these later," he mused gruffly, "but for now, they come off too."

He pulled off each shoe, tossing them to the foot of the bed before standing. Then he retrieved the handcuffs and I gulped, eyes locked on them.

"One word, and they'll be off," he reminded as he backed me onto the bed.

The cuffs bounced heavily on the mattress next to my head. Ranger lowered his lips to mine, distracting me thoroughly with his tongue as he gently lifted my right arm above my head. Metal snapped. A cold bracelet suddenly circled my wrist. His mouth never left mine as he wove the loose end of the handcuffs around one of the wrought iron rungs of his headboard. Smoothly, my left arm joined my right as the other end of the cuff trapped it.

Pulling away, Ranger left me panting and aching. I tugged on my unfamiliar bonds, relieved to find the cuffs just barely tight enough to keep my fists from slipping out. Glancing up at Ranger, I found his chest heaving, face relaxed, and mouth slightly open as his black eyes raked my form. He slid off the bed and quickly pushed his dress pants to the floor, proving just how exciting he found my position.

A tiny spark of rationality entered his eyes. "I have condoms."

Although a statement, I heard the implied question.

Shaking my head, I managed to squeak, "We're good." I'd learned long ago to just keep up with my birth control pills since my relationship status swung so unpredictably between on and off.

With a light growl, Ranger crawled onto the bed and kissed the inside of my right knee. His lips crept along my skin, moving upward with a methodically lethargic pace intended to make me beg. He succeeded. By the time his lips brushed the skin at the edge of the apex of my thighs, my body writhed. Metal clanged as I pulled against the restraints, my fingers desperate to dive into his hair and direct his head to the place that ached for his touch.

"Please, Ranger!" The breathy words rang staccato.

He gazed at me through dark lashes. "Since we're pretending tonight, call me Carlos." My suddenly wide eyes caused him to chuckle. "Just for tonight, Babe."

His teeth lightly clipped the inside of my right thigh and a tiny cry ripped from my throat. I was going to spontaneously combust if he didn't provide me with some relief soon. "Please, Carlos!"

Ranger instantly rewarded me as his mouth fell hungrily between my legs. His hands pressed down on my hips, driving me to the point of insanity as my body tried to buck into him. Too soon, his mouth moved away, and I groaned. I'd been so close.

"Please," I begged shamelessly, barely aware of the words tumbling from my lips. Without my hands, all I had were my breathy entreaties to get my way. "Ravish me. Make me scream your name. Carlos, please." I seared him through heavily lidded eyes.

He moaned, resuming his slow crawl up my body. "Fuck, Stephanie, how do I resist that?" And without warning, he buried himself in me completely.

My back arched off the bed, a sensual scream rending the night. My fingers curled around the chain of the handcuffs, giving me leverage to rock my hips and meet his greedy thrusts. Ranger reared back, resting on his knees. His fingers curled into the flesh on my hips, my feet resting on his shoulders as we joined roughly over and over. A glorious tightening inched through my belly, heading downward until the name coming from my lips was unintelligible. Ranger carried my body to a cliff of pleasure, stars dancing before my eyes as he drove me into the chasm.

"Stephanie!"

His body melded into mine, thrusts deepening as his head fell back, mouth wide. A deep groan shook his chest before his fingers finally loosened their hold on my hips and our bodies stilled. He rubbed his palms over the reddened skin, soothing the ache from the bruises that were already appearing.

Retrieving the key from the nightstand, his hands skated up my arms to release my bindings. Gently, he massaged each wrist, identical red bands around each from the way he'd made my body convulse with ecstasy. Tugging the sheet over us, he pulled me into his side, kissing the pulse points on my wrists softly.

Sleep called to me, dragging me toward darkness, but I fought the post-orgasm induced fatigue.

"You still owe me two more truths before the clock strikes midnight," I mumbled into his shoulder.

A rumble echoed inside his chest, though the laugh never made it past his lips. Looking up, I saw him considering me with an amused smile. "Or what, I turn back into a pumpkin?"

"You promised," I pouted. "And no more sexual fetish truths."

That drew out a true chuckle. "Is there anything in particular you want to know?"

I paused, wide blue eyes meeting his soft brown gaze. He'd just given me a blank check when it came to his personal life. A thousand questions flew through my brain, from ridiculously mundane to embarrassingly personal.

"Don't set off the smoke detectors," he teased, gently pulling my bottom lip free of my teeth. His thumb caressed the side of my face and my concentration shattered.

"Is this the Batcave?" I blurted. Immediately, I grimaced. Leave it to me to ask a simple yes or no question upon being given the incredibly rare opportunity to ask anything.

Ranger stayed silent for a moment, his fingers playing with a stray curl of my hair. "It is now."

My mouth opened to ask a follow up question, but I managed to shut it in time. No way was I wasting my third truth on a follow-up Batcave inquiry.

"I suppose in a real relationship, I'd elaborate on that."

I nodded emphatically, and amusement played behind Ranger's eyes.

"I own several buildings and safe houses, but you already know that. I have apartments in all my Rangeman locations, stocked well enough I don't need to pack a suitcase. But all of them, even this one, were always just staging areas. Four walls to hold some clothes. A safe place to lay my head. I moved through life like that for a long time. I had houses but no home. There was no Batcave, Babe."

"So what changed?" The question popped out before I could bite my tongue.

He gestured toward the entrance to the bedroom. "I walked through that door late one night, exhausted after a very long drive, and found a troublesome bounty hunter in my bed. It's felt like home ever since."

The air left my lungs in a rush, but no amount of coaxing could convince the muscles to draw a new supply back in.

Ranger barked a laugh. "Breathe, Babe."

My body instantly complied with his demand, sweet oxygen flooding my airways. "I asked two questions, so was that the third truth?"

Ranger considered me for a long moment. I'd given him an out. A loophole. "No. I believe I owe you one final truth."

Leaning in, he planted a long, intense kiss on my lips. It immediately chased away any remaining sleepiness, stirring the ashes of the fire in my belly. Moaning, my arms snaked around his neck, fingers entrenched in his hair to hold his face to mine. His hand ventured southward, making pit stops at my breasts and butt before slipping between my thighs momentarily. Then his touch was gone.

Another low rumble escaped his throat. I'd never heard Ranger laugh so often before tonight. My eyebrows arched toward my hairline.

"If we continue this way, I'll never meet my midnight deadline," he explained.

I huffed. He had intentionally gotten me all hot and bothered just to remind me that I'm the one who'd demanded three truths. "Fine. Lay the final truth on me, then screw me senseless."

His eyes darkened, a sensual groan wiping the amusement from his face. Beneath the covers, I could feel him ready for round two. For several long seconds, I waited for him to pounce, but then he seemed to regain his control.

"My third truth," he muttered huskily before fixing me with an intense stare. "If anything were to ever happen to me, you're the main beneficiary of my will."

"What?" My voice hit a new octave as all thoughts of romance fled my body. "I can't be your beneficiary!"

"Says who?" he replied, corners of his lips tugging upward.

"Says me! What about Julie? What about your parents and —"

He pressed a soft finger to my lips, stopping me mid-stream. "Julie has a college fund that will cover even Harvard. And a trust fund, which she cannot touch until she turns thirty. If she's smart, it'll ensure she lives a very comfortable life. As for my family, they want for nothing. Safeties are in place to prevent that from changing if something happened to me. Everything else goes to you."

My mouth opened and closed, though no sound escaped. "Rangeman?" I finally squeaked.

"Tank would handle the operations, but you'd own the business."

Rolling onto my back, I memorized the texture in the ceiling as my heart raced. "Why are you telling me this? Do you expect to die soon? Is someone threatening you?"

"You wanted truths, Babe. And it's something I probably should have told you a while ago."

"That didn't answer all my questions." My breathing grew increasingly rapid, on the verge of hyperventilating. All the psychos of the past swam through my mind. Was there yet another lurking in the wings?

He propped himself up on one arm, fixing me with a steadying stare. "No one has threatened me, Babe. Not to say I don't still have many enemies. And most are too smart to issue a threat. They know a surprise attack would be much more likely to succeed."

"That's not reassuring," I growled, throwing an arm across my suddenly wet eyes. "I don't want to be your beneficiary. I don't want to think of anything bad happening to you. I'd give away every penny if it would bring you back."

Gently, Ranger pulled my arm away from my face, wrapping me in his strong embrace. "I know, Steph. That's why it's your name on that line." He kissed the tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. "I wish I could offer you more, but it's one of the few ways I'm able to show you how much I love you."

I tried to repeat the words back to him, but they caught in my throat. Nothing would change if I uttered them anyway. As his lips closed over mine, I tried to pour the emotion into my return kiss. His body shifted, covering mine. Without hesitation, I parted my legs so he could press into my core. We moved together slowly, breaths shallow, making sweet love as the clock passed midnight.

Tomorrow, this would all be a memory. Our game of house over.

I clung to Ranger's body and willed time to stop.

* * *

I woke to sunlight slanting through half open blinds. Reaching for Ranger, I found his side of the bed empty and cold. Reality crashed over me like a bucket of ice water. Whatever Twilight zone I'd entered last night was gone.

Dropping my feet out of bed, I winced at the soreness radiating through my nether regions. Purple bruises popped along my hips, shaped like Ranger's fingers. Fading red circles around my wrists served as proof I hadn't imagined the strange events of the night before.

I stumbled into the bathroom. Half an hour later, I emerged clean, clothed, and hair blown dry and corralled into a pony tail. A few swipes of mascara, and I was ready to face the day. First step, procure some wheels. Then get my check from Connie and get my electricity turned back on.

Glancing down, I considered the tell-tale red marks on my wrists and quickly pulled one of Ranger's black sweatshirts out of his closet and tugged it over my head. The sleeves ended at my fingertips. Perfect. No one would be the wiser.

Padding into the kitchen, a still-warm pot of coffee waited for me. Next to it rested a white paper bag with a yellow sticky note tacked to its front.

Now, I knew a Tasty Pastry bag when I saw one. The better question was, what the hell was one doing in Ranger's kitchen? He had, on numerous occasions, warned me that donuts will kill me. Carefully, as if it might be booby trapped, I unfolded the crease at the top.

Nothing exploded, so I chanced a peek inside. A single glorious Boston cream donut sat in the bottom. The mouthwatering aroma of chocolate icing and sugar wafted into my nostrils. This had to be a trick.

Only now reading the yellow sticky note, Ranger's tidy handwriting scrawled out a few simple words: Thought you might need this after yesterday.

Okay, so clearly Ranger didn't understand the protocol for these situations. Burning down a restaurant, blowing up six cars, and getting your electricity shut off required half a dozen donuts minimum. Still, the fact he'd made the effort to get me one spurred a frightening amount of warmth to spread through my chest.

I inhaled the pastry, then went in search of more comfort food. The best I could scrounge was one of the whole grain bagels left earlier by Ella. I toasted it and slathered it with a ton of fat-free cream cheese.

Checking the sink, the last known location for my poor messenger bag, I found it empty. Investigating the apartment, I spotted a new black Coach bag hanging on a hook by the door. Inside were my keys, wallet, stun gun, cuffs, extra mascara, a few tampons, and, more than likely, one or two cleverly disguised GPS tracking devices. I shouldered the bag and dropped in the iPhone on loan from Ranger.

Another sticky note caught my attention, this one posted to the inside of the front door, with a request for me to stop by Ranger's office before I left. Not that I could leave anyway, since I didn't have a car.

Grabbing my winter coat, I rode the elevator down to five and exited into the control room. Several Merry Men greeted me warmly, but none more so than Lester.

"Bombshell!" He pulled me into a bone crushing embrace. "You like your new purse?"

I glanced down at the bag and then back to Lester, my eyes crinkled. "How'd you know it's new?"

"Cause when I heard yours got soaked, I went out and bought it for you. Figured it was the least I could do, seeing as you're my good luck charm. When you destroyed six cars yesterday, I hit the jackpot in the office pool."

I groaned. "The jackpot?"

I knew Ranger's men bet on when I'd destroy my vehicle, but I sincerely hoped they weren't betting the kind of cash that warranted a new Coach purse as a thank you gift.

"Yep. I had my money down on yesterday, but I bought into the mega multiplier option. You know, so if you destroyed two cars, I got double my money. And you went and took out six!" A grin brighter than a neon sign graced his face. He looked at my baggy sweatshirt and smirked, before pulling me close to place a not-so-chaste kiss on my cheek. "Is that what my cousin gives you to wear? Bombshell, if you were mine, the purse would just be the beginning. You'd be draped in Versace…"

"Santos!"

Both Lester and I jumped at Ranger's tone. Glancing up, I found him leaning against the doorframe to his office, arms crossed over his chest. The tailored black business suit he wore only fueled the intimidation radiating off his rigid posture, face a mask devoid of any emotion.

"You and I have an appointment on the mats later," he barked at Lester, who paled visibly. Then he crooked a finger my direction, and my knees nearly gave out.

I walked into Ranger's office and the door closed behind me with a click.

"Making a fashion statement today, Babe?" Ranger asked, raising an eyebrow at my outfit.

The tension eased from my body as I recognized amusement behind his eyes. He ran a hand down my right arm before pushing the sweatshirt cuff upward, revealing the marks on my wrist. He did the same to my left arm before frowning. "I'm sorry. I hoped by keeping the cuffs loose, you'd avoid any marks." Bringing my hands to his face, he kissed the bruises softly.

"They don't hurt," I offered, then shot him a teasing grin. "But maybe, if we do that again, we use padded cuffs. They sell them at Pleasure Treasure."

In an instant, heat flashed through Ranger's eyes and I suddenly found myself up against the wall of his office, the length of his body firmly pressed into mine.

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Babe," he hissed into my ear, eyes black. The next second, his lips crashed onto mine.

The shrill ringing of a phone pulled me back to reality. "Don't you need to answer that?" I managed to pant as Ranger's lips dipped to cover my neck with a stream of kisses.

"Voicemail," he grunted, nipping the skin over my collarbone lightly so that I moaned, my hands fisting his hair. The phone fell silent.

A few minutes later, Ranger had his hands up my shirt, doing unspeakably arousing things to my nipples when a sharp rap sounded on the door.

"Boss, Rodger Thames needs to speak with you," Tank's hesitant voice filtered through the wood. "He insisted it was urgent and requested you video call him as soon as possible."

I held my breath, waiting to see what Ranger would do.

With a loud exhale, Ranger's fingers withdrew from under my attire. "Let him know I'll call him in five minutes." Ranger stepped back and tugged my sweatshirt back into place, ensuring the cuffs covered my marred wrists again.

"You, umm, wanted me to stop by before I left," I reminded him, assuming it was for more than just a scheduled 9am groping.

"Yes." Ranger crossed to his desk and plucked a fob from a drawer. "I figured you'd need transportation. I also wanted to go over a few things related to the jewel job. Seeing as the cruise company's president needs to speak with me urgently, you might as well stick around for the call instead."

I accepted the car key from where it dangled on his fingertip. "Thank you for the donut, by the way."

Although his face remained a mask, I saw the thought of smiling flit across his features for just a moment. He sat down in his leather computer chair then reached over and pulled me into his lap.

"Are we going to do the video call like this?" I laughed.

Ranger's eyes flicked to his monitor. "By my count, we still have three minutes and forty-two seconds before I need to make the call."

He proceeded to use every moment to his advantage.

Patting my disheveled hair and trying to make myself look presentable, I hauled over one of the leather side chairs that usually faced Ranger's desk. Ranger tested the web cam, ensuring both of us could be seen in it, then began the video call. Half a second later, an older gentleman with a shock of white hair atop his head filled the screen. He wore an immaculate, black pinstriped business suit, tie fixed to his chest with a cruise ship shaped tack. Behind him, expansive photographs of the ships in his company's fleet lined the walls, all set against exotic backdrops.

"Mr. Manoso, thank you for calling me so promptly." His voice rang with a slight accent, somewhere between American and British. His eyes drifted to me, eyebrows arching just slightly.

"Your timing was good, Mr. Thames. I was just discussing your account with an associate of mine." Ranger indicated me. "Miss Plum will be joining me onboard. She has considerable experience apprehending dangerous criminals, as well as working undercover for me on other occasions. Now, what can I help you with today, sir?"

Trying not to blush under Ranger's praise, I tugged at the hem of my sweatshirt, wishing I'd worn something more professional.

"Circumstances have changed, Mr. Manoso, and I need you move up your investigation. I'd like you to be on the ship leaving Cape Liberty on Saturday."

One of Ranger's eyes twitched, the only visible sign of any sort of surprise. "Mr. Thames, we expected to have at least another two weeks to prepare. I'm not sure everything will be ready in time for Saturday."

Without blinking, Mr. Thames replied, "I'll double the price we agreed upon."

Ranger stroked his chin. "May I inquire as to what happened to bring about this sudden urgency?"

Rodger Thames' face contorted, his lips tugging his sagging skin downward. "As you know, in an attempt to understand the extent of the thievery, we reached out to past passengers whom we believed may have been targeted and offered to have their jewelry appraised. In the past week, four additional thefts have been discovered, going back well over a year. The diamonds taken in each case amount to well over fifty thousand dollars."

"You anticipated that, though, when you made the decision to reach out," Ranger returned, steepling his fingers in front of him. "Mr. Thames, if Miss Plum and I are to assist you to the best of our abilities, you need to be forthcoming with us."

The president gulped, face paling. "One of the guests whose diamonds were stolen is the wife of a very prominent American politician. They have money, connections, power, and they are, pardon my language, pissed. Severely. They have threatened to not only take this to the media, but also get the FBI involved, which as we've previously discussed, would be disastrous for my cruise line. They've given me two weeks to find the person or people responsible, or they go public."

Ranger's face remained a mask of professionalism. "It will be a scramble but allow me to make some phone calls and see if we can't pull everything together in time for Saturday. I will touch base with you again before the end of the day. Assuming it all falls together, I will have accounting send over a contract with the new numbers."

Thames nodded. "Very good. I look forward to hearing from you again."

The call ended, and Thames disappeared from the screen. Ranger glanced over at me and grinned. "Guess you get to be my girlfriend a little sooner than expected."

"I thought you had to make some calls?"

Ranger shrugged. "First rule of business. Always plan in advance and never leave anything to the last minute."

"And yet, you have no trouble letting Thames think it's a hardship so that he pays you double…"

"Second rule of business, Babe. Always let your customer tell you what you're worth to them."

I shook my head, reminded that Ranger followed his own set of moral codes. Pulling my chair back into its place, I made to leave.

"If we're really leaving Saturday, I've got to get some stuff done today and tomorrow. Once I get my electricity back on, I'll get Rex." I paused, hand on the door knob, as a thought crossed my mind. "How could you have had everything done early, if you only asked me last night? What if I said no?"

Ranger moved silently from behind his desk, his slow lope reminding me of a lion stalking an antelope. "I'm going to give you a fourth truth, Babe." The air grew thin as he closed the remaining space between us, his mouth brushing my ear. "You say yes much too readily. But had you said no, I would have _begged_ until you changed your mind."

The innuendo in his words sent a wave of pure lava rolling through my body, culminating between my legs. He laid a scalding kiss on my lips before sauntering back to his desk, taking his seat, and focusing on his computer as if nothing had happened.

* * *

AN: Tomorrow morning, I go in for a minor medical procedure. As long as all goes well, I will post Chapter 4 either Friday or Saturday. But you know what will be sure to make me feel better when I get home from the hospital tomorrow? An in box full of reviews! (I know, I'm shameless, but reviews are my drug of choice.)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you all for the well wishes and reviews. They really did help cheer me up on an otherwise pretty crappy day. You all deserve this next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Cornfedfiddler is my awesome beta reader.

* * *

Chapter 4

Standing in the Rangeman garage, I raised my new key fob and clicked the unlock button. The lights flashed on a spotless black Jeep Cherokee. Motoring toward the bonds office, I parked a few spots down from the entrance. No need to advertise I was back to borrowing cars from Ranger.

The aroma of baked goods met me as soon as I walked in. Lula sprawled along the entire length of the Naugahyde sofa, clutching an open box of donuts to her chest. Once filled with a dozen, there were only three left. Powdered sugar and a few dollops of icing decorated her expansive chest, which popped out of a nearly see-through leopard print sweater four sizes too small. The pair of fuchsia leggings she'd somehow jammed her lower body into looked as if they were at their maximum stretch capacity.

"Uh oh. Date not go so hot last night?" I asked.

"What?" Lula looked down at her chest and brushed away some of the crumbs. "Nah. These are celebratory donuts. Get your strength back donuts, if ya know what I mean." She winked at me.

I tried exceptionally hard not to know what she meant. I didn't need that mental image.

She sighed. "I think I'm in love."

I glanced at Connie, who rolled her eyes behind her computer screen.

Pulling my body receipt out of my purse, I plunked it down in front of Connie. "I brought in Ronnie Gross yesterday afternoon."

"I heard," Connie replied with a grin. "The owners of Mama Matuzzi's think I sent you there to intentionally set the place on fire. Apparently, they had a falling out with a few of my uncles over a business deal a month or so back." Connie's family was 90 percent Italian and 100 percent mob. "Fixed it right up. My Uncle Dom says he owes you one."

She finished cutting my check, ripped it out of the register, and handed it to me. "Sorry, now that Gross is back in police custody, I got nothing else for you, Steph. No one's skipping."

I sighed, and Lula held out the donut box. "I think you need some 'I'm-nearly-broke' donuts more than I need the last two 'night-of-hot-sex' donuts."

"No thanks." I waved the box away and Lula nearly dropped it.

"No thanks?" Her voice rose an octave. "No thanks? Since when do you turn down donuts?"

I shrugged, frowning at the thought of needing to be bikini ready in a mere two days. What were the odds Ella would buy me expensive one-piece bathing suits? "I already had one this morning."

Both Connie and Lula shot me blank stares.

"Just one?" Connie repeated.

"Girl, there ain't no way you ate just one donut this morning. You're nearly broke, seeing as there ain't no one skipping, and you was planning to spend last night with a bottle of wine and a pizza. Fess up. You ate a whole baker's dozen, didn't you?"

"No. I had one Boston cream. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go cash this. I've got a few bills that need paid ASAP." I palmed the fob for the Jeep.

Lulu turned her eyes toward the street. "What you driving, seeing as you blew up your car yesterday? Big Blue run in this cold?"

With a yank, Connie ripped the Jeep's key from my grip. "Looks like a Rangeman fleet vehicle." Her painted on eyebrows arched. "Matches the Rangeman sweatshirt."

Lula grinned. "Ahh, so that's why you don't want any donuts. You got a different kind of dessert last night."

I rubbed away the beginning of a headache from my temples and the sleeves on the sweatshirt slipped down with the motion. Lula leapt off the sofa, considerably faster than expected for a woman her size, and grabbed my forearms.

"Girl, I know what these are from. Ain't no 'ho out there don't know handcuff marks when she sees 'em." She locked me with a serious gaze. "I don't care if he's fucking Batman, do I need to go downtown and kick some Cuban ass? Cause don't think I won't do it, if he hurt my girl—"

"There will be no ass kicking!"

"Steph…" Connie's voice rang softly behind me, full of emotion.

"Oh for goodness sake, the bondage was consensual!" My hand flew to my mouth as soon as the shouted words left, a flush barreling through my skin.

Connie and Lula appeared rooted to their spots, so I took the opportunity to pluck my Jeep key from Connie's frozen hand and hightail it out of there. Only after four blocks stood between the Jeep and the bond's office did I breathe again, the redness finally fading from my cheeks. I'd forgotten to tell Connie that I'd be away for the next week and a half, but considering what I'd just blurted... I'd e-mail her. From the cruise ship. Just before I lost cell phone signal.

Depositing my check at the bank, I drove to the electric company. Half an hour later, my bank account was nearly empty again, but a crew was on the way to restore my power. I considered the remaining balance. Seemed silly to waste it on food if I was just going to leave on Saturday for nine nights. And the pretty new iPhone in my purse was growing on me. I mean, I could go buy some crappy knock-off in a back alley off Stark Street, but that might be an insult to Ranger's generosity. Right?

I glanced down at my hands on the steering wheel as I slowed for a red traffic light. My nails were a little rough, cuticles badly in need of some moisturizer. Without peeking in the rearview mirror, I knew my hair wasn't much better. And I needed to convince an entire cruise ship full of people that I was a disgustingly wealthy woman in a matter of days.

Beauty salon it was.

Two hours later, I had a sophisticated French-tip pedicure and manicure, freshly cut, styled, and highlighted hair, and baby soft skin from head to toe. I had $2.57 left to my name. Not even enough for a sandwich and drink from Cluck-in-the-Bucket for lunch. But since I had to pick up Rex, I'd just mooch off Ranger.

I had my head buried in Ranger's fridge, contemplating the healthy options laid out before me, when I heard the tinkle of keys being deposited in the bowl by the door. A few seconds later, warm arms wrapped around me from behind.

His face pressed into my hair, inhaling. "Like the new look, Babe."

"Thanks," I replied, grabbing a bowl of chicken stir fry and closing the fridge door. Ranger released me so I could move to the microwave. "I figured, if I'm to play the part of a millionaire, I ought to at least attempt to look the part. If you don't mind, I'm going to grab lunch. Then Rex and I will be out of your hair."

"You could stay," he replied softly. "Ella will watch Rex for you while we're away."

He had a point. Moving home for two nights did seem a little counterproductive. I shook my head anyway. I needed to be in the proper mindset for this job. And cohabitating with Ranger for a few days before we went undercover as a couple seemed an excellent way to further blur the lines between reality and fiction.

I'd learned in Hawaii it would lead nowhere good.

"My mom will watch Rex. Angie and Mary Alice are looking forward to playing with him." Okay, it was a total lie. My mom didn't even know I was leaving yet, never mind my nieces. Quickly, I changed the subject. "What time do you want me to be here on Saturday?"

"I'll pick you up," he replied, his face revealing no hint of emotion regarding my decision not to stay. "9am."

"I'll be packed and ready."

"Ella will pack everything you need. I'll bring clothes for you to change into."

"Jeez. Guess I'll just answer the door naked."

A predatory gleam entered his eyes. He grabbed my hips, pulling me roughly against him. "In that case, I'll be there at eight." His sizzling kiss left me momentarily stunned as he reached around to snag an orange from the fruit bowl on the counter before sauntering away. The front door opened and shut a few seconds later.

* * *

I hauled my tired ass out of bed and into the shower before sunrise Saturday morning. By seven, I was carrying Rex and his aquarium up the sidewalk to my parents' side of their double block home. My mother waited anxiously just inside the front door.

"Thanks for agreeing to watch Rex for me," I told her as I situated him on a table in the living room. Mom thought it was unsanitary to keep him in the kitchen.

I could feel my mother's disapproval radiating from across the room. She'd only just finished the fit of ironing induced by the Mama Matuzzi's incident when I'd sprang the "going away for nine days on business with Ranger" news. I figured mentioning it was also a cruise and we were posing as a couple was probably not necessary. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

"Look at it this way," I told her as I walked into the kitchen, "at least you won't get any calls about me for the next week and a half."

Finding the bacon I'd smelled immediately upon entering the house, I helped myself to an extra crispy piece.

My mother crossed herself, and I'm pretty sure she mumbled a Hail Mary under her breath. Pushing that morning's newspaper toward me, she pointed to the open classified section. Several job postings were circled in bright red pen.

"Look at all the opportunities available. The Stop-N-Shop on Broad needs a manager. The sanitary products plant has openings for all shifts. And did you know our tax money pays for this Career Connections place downtown? Dottie Wilson said they even help criminals fresh out of prison get a job, so I'm sure they could find you something."

Jeez. I'd like to think my resume is one step above that of a guy with an ankle monitor and parole officer. "I don't need a job, Mom. Ranger is paying me, and I'm sure I'll have a pile of skips when I get back." And if I didn't, at least the Rangeman paycheck would cover me for a good month.

My mother opened her mouth, about to retort, when something heavy thumped all the way down the steps. Our eyes wide, we both rushed into the foyer. My heart beat in my throat as I expected to find Grandma Mazur's crumpled corpse at the foot of the steps. Instead, a large black suitcase hung halfway off the last step, wheels spinning in the air.

"Mother!" Mom's hand pressed into her chest, her face still ashen.

Grandma Mazur's permed head poked around the doorframe at the top of the steps. "What? I had to get it down somehow."

My mother's hands moved to her hips, her lips drawing a grim line. "It's just a weekend trip to Atlantic City with the senior center. You don't need to pack all that."

"Sure I do," Grandma replied, descending the steps carefully. She had a big black bag hanging off her shoulder too. "A woman my age has got to have options. I mean, you can't wear the same ensemble to the Golden Nugget as you would to the Hard Rock. And then I needed my extra stretchy pants for the buffets. But what if we go out to a nice restaurant? And this hotel has got an indoor pool, so of course I needed my bikinis."

I blinked hard to try and erase that mental image.

"Plus, what if we go out to see a show? And I don't mean one of those off-Broadway rip offs. I mean a show at one of those all male strip clubs. Like those famous, what are they called, Chipmunks?"

"Chippendales?" I supplied.

"Yeah, that's the one!"

"Don't encourage her," my mother hissed in my ear.

Grandma struggled to upend the suitcase and nearly tripped over it. I rushed to grab one of her boney arms.

"Let me get that for you," I offered, sitting the suitcase up on its wheels. The thing had to weigh at least fifty pounds. Options, indeed. She had enough packed for two weeks.

From outside, a horn sounded.

"That would be my ride," Grandma said, grinning.

"I thought the bus didn't leave until nine?" returned my mother suspiciously.

"Right, but we want to get there first, to get the best pick of the seats. You know, so we can have a good view of the TV's, and so we're not stuck next to the restroom. You don't want to be right next to one of those rolling port-o-potties after a few of the guys from the senior center have had their morning prune juice, if you know what I mean. Besides, we gotta stop at the bank to get some one-dollar bills. You know, for me to stick into the Chipmunks' little banana hammocks."

My mother crossed herself again, eyes rolled heavenward.

"Hey, at least you won't get calls about either one of us this weekend," I offered with a shrug. Maybe the liquor bottle and the ironing board would get a well-deserved rest for the next few days.

I rolled Grandma's suitcase outside and dragged it down the porch steps, waving to my mother who watched grimly from inside. There was a giddy step to Grandma's orthopedic shod feet as I walked her to the silver Buick idling at the curb.

The passenger window rolled down and an elderly man with more folds in his face than a Shar-Pei squinted out at us. "Ready to go, hotcakes?"

"You know it, stud muffin."

"Stud muffin?" I mouthed at Grandma, my eyes wide.

She put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, don't tell your mother. This here's my new hunny, Ernie. We met at Stiva's last week. Now you know why I needed to pack so many _options_."

That greasy bacon I'd eaten suddenly churned in my stomach. Ernie popped the trunk and I heaved Grandma's suitcase inside, feeling like I needed another shower to wash away the images swirling in my brain. I suddenly understood why my mother tippled.

Grandma climbed into the passenger seat and gave me a little finger wave through the glass. With the speed of a rampaging tortoise, Ernie eased the car away from the curb and down the street. I shook my head and climbed into the Jeep.

* * *

At precisely nine, the locks tumbled on my door and Ranger let himself in. He toted a large black shopping bag in one hand, a curly font spelling out "Saks Fifth Avenue" across the white square emblazoned on the front. He wore a burnt orange sweater, brown leather bomber jacket that brought out the chocolate color of his eyes, and an immaculately pressed pair of casual beige pants culminating in a pair of tan leather loafers. A steel gray Movada watch, the huge face containing three smaller dials, rested on his wrist.

"Are you wearing twill?" I tried to touch the fabric of his pants, but Ranger swatted my hand away. "They take our photo when we get onboard, right? Please tell me I'll have photographic evidence of you in technicolor."

"Babe." He shook his head at me, but a smile tugged at his lips. "We have a tight deadline."

The Saks Fifth Avenue bag got shoved into my arms and I took that to mean Ranger wanted me to get changed. Glancing inside, a bulky winter coat with fur trim rested on top. The price tag, still attached, made me gasp. "The coat cost $895? Are you serious?"

"We're portraying an obnoxiously wealthy couple. Get used to it."

I had a sneaky suspicion I wasn't going to like the price tags on the clothes below the coat either. Retreating to my bedroom, I stripped out of my jeans and sweatshirt and dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed. In addition to the coat, a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, cream cashmere sweater, and pair of tan leather booties with a block heel tumbled out. One of the booties flipped over and I glimpsed a red sole.

"No fucking way!" I grabbed the shoes and examined them closer. Real, honest-to-God Christian Louboutin boots.

"Everything okay, Babe?"

Turning, I found Ranger leaning against the door frame, dark eyes assessing me as I stood there in just my panties and bra.

"I know shoes. These are thousand-dollar boots!" I waved the footwear at him before falling back on the bed, spread eagle in delirium. Closing my eyes, I hugged the boot to my chest and giggled like a school girl. So, they weren't really mine, but for nine days I got to be the proud model of a pair of Christian Louboutins. I was going to sleep in these babies.

"Which part of this assignment did I fail to make clear?"

My eyes popped open to find Ranger standing over me, an amused smile on his face. His gaze focused on my barely covered breasts.

"If we weren't on such a time crunch, I'd make you forget all about the damn shoes."

Someone moaned. It might have been me.

"Get dressed, Babe. You've got a little over an hour and a half to get over the sticker shock before we arrive at Cape Liberty. As soon as you step foot out of the car in those expensive boots, I expect you to be the model of sophistication." He offered me a hand and pulled me to my feet.

Ranger enjoyed the floor show as I shimmied into the skinny jeans, which at $185 seemed like a downright bargain. The cashmere sweater, soft as a cloud with an off-the-shoulder neckline, came in at $275. Add in those glorious boots and the winter coat, and I was draped in well over two grand worth of apparel. I couldn't resist running into the bathroom to give myself a once over in the mirror.

By this point, Ranger was tapping his foot in impatience.

"I'm ready, I'm ready," I assured him, grabbing for my new Coach purse. Ranger stopped me.

"Leave it. Everything you'll need is in the car."

"What about my cell?"

"Traceable, Babe, so it stays."

I bit my lip. While I was in no way addicted to technology, I didn't like being totally out of contact. "What if something happens to Rex and Mom needs to call me?"

Ranger closed his eyes and took, what I perceived as, a calming breath. "I have a cell phone for you that can't be traced back to Stephanie Plum. It's set up to forward calls from your phone."

"Oh."

Ranger put his hand on the small of my back and guided me into the hallway, pulling my door shut behind him. In the lobby, he nearly tripped over me as I stopped dead.

"Babe?"

"Is that Lester?"

A black limousine idled just beyond the glass doors leading into the parking lot. Leaning against the side, dressed in a black suit with white shirt, black tie, white gloves, and black chauffer's hat, was a rather glum looking Lester.

"How did you convince him to dress like that?"

A true smile skittered across Ranger's features. "He's learning a lesson about kissing another man's woman."

My eyebrows climbed skyward. "Says the man who frequently groped me against the wall behind the bonds office when he knew I was in a relationship with another man."

Ranger rubbed his jaw. "And he got in a damn good right hook when he caught us in Hawaii. Santos got off easy."

I highly doubted that. Lester jumped, straightening as we exited and rushing to open the door for me. Not one snarky comment slipped past his tight lips.

Sliding into the backseat of the limo, I bumped into a large, red, leather shopper-style purse. As Lester closed the door behind Ranger and rounded the front of the car, I pulled the bag into my lap and traced over the silver emblem, a sideways 'F' enclosed in a circle, with trembling fingers.

Ranger's eyes wandered over my vibrating body. "Go ahead, Babe. If you hold it in any longer, I'm afraid you'll stroke out."

"This is a Fendi purse!" I screamed, shoving the bag toward him. "Not a 'it-fell-off-the-back-of-a-truck-and-landed-in-the-trunk-of-a-guy-off-Stark-Street' purse, but a real Fendi purse!" My eyes suddenly narrowed. "It is a real Fendi, right? You aren't just decking me out in really good fakes like you did with the necklace on Valentine's Day?"

Ranger chuckled. "Ella did all the shopping, so I can't be a hundred percent certain, but I'm pretty sure she spent the day in Philadelphia at legit stores and not perusing trunks in back alleys."

Peeking inside the bag, I found everything I would need, as promised, plus some, including an iPad and iPod with AirPods. Withdrawing the matching Fendi wallet, I flipped it open. A butt load of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills were tucked into the billfold. My face and birthdate stared back from a New Jersey driver's license, with an unfamiliar surname and address in Newark.

"Stephanie Wheeler," I read. "I guess that's easy enough to remember." I repeated the last name over in my head a few times until I was sure it would stick.

"Memorize the address too." Ranger reached forward and plucked a manila folder from the leather pocket of the seat in front of him. "Here's the rest of our backstories. Let me know if you have any questions."

I sensed that would comprise all our small talk on the trip to Cape Liberty. Flipping open the folder, I memorized the information within. Stephanie Wheeler's life seemed eerily similar to mine, minus the filthy rich part. I suspected that was done purposefully, to limit my opportunities to screw up and give myself away.

Miss Wheeler grew up in Newark in a stable home with two parents and an older sister. Graduated from Douglass College with a business degree and got hired as an account manager at a hugely successfully international shipping company, Shallow Bay LLC. There she caught the eye and, eventually, the heart of their fabulously wealthy founder and CEO, Carlos Prieto.

"A shipping magnate taking his girlfriend on a cruise? Really?"

"Babe."

I flipped through the couple pages on Ranger's alter ego. "Just trying to get a handle on the guy I'm dating." I shot him a brazen grin. "So, everything looks legit on paper, but what if someone Googles one of us. I mean, it's pretty obvious you want us to flaunt the wealth thing." I ran my fingers along the smooth red leather of the Fendi bag. "Might make people curious, including our perp."

"Go ahead and try it," he encouraged, face all business.

I pulled an iPhone, nearly identical to the one he'd made me leave behind, out of the bag. "Okay, Siri, search the web for Carlos Prieto."

A moment later, Siri's fake female voice filled the backseat. "Okay. Here's what I found for Carlos Prieto."

I stared down at the list of seemingly credible hits, jaw on my lap. There was the webpage for Shallow Bay, an article in which Carlos Prieto was listed as the top eligible bachelor in New Jersey, and multiple social media accounts. Even a very realistic tabloid site with a flawlessly photoshopped image of Ranger and I leaving a Tiffany's store, with the screaming headline: Jersey's Most Eligible Bachelor Nearly Engaged to a Nobody.

"A nobody? Excuse me? A business degree from Douglass is nothing to sneeze at."

Ranger tilted his head back and laughed. "Are you really getting worked up over a fake tabloid news article?"

I sighed. I knew it was stupid, but how could I explain to him that even in the real world, I felt like a nobody standing next to him.

As the landscape outside my window grew considerably more urban, a rock seemed to grow in my belly. So much rested on me playing this part convincingly, and so far, I'd been overwhelmed by nearly everything. There might not be any icebergs to worry about, but this cruise suddenly seemed just as doomed as the Titanic.

"We're nearly there," Ranger said suddenly. "I've got one more thing for you before we arrive."

"Jewelry?" It was, after all, the entire reason for this job.

Ranger nodded and drew a brown leather Kenneth Cole laptop bag from beneath the seat. He flipped open the flap and pulled out a Tiffany's bag. "Nothing crazy, since we're just embarking, but hopefully noticeable enough to whet our perp's appetite if he or she sees us."

He lifted out two teal boxes. The first contained a silver bangle bracelet with diamonds studded into the shape of an infinity symbol on the top. Ranger gently slipped it around my wrist. Thankfully, the bruises from the cuffs were gone. The necklace he lifted from the next box was simple compared to the one draped around my neck on Valentine's Day. An open infinity symbol formed out of tiny round diamonds, capped with two large red rubies, hung from a thin silver chain. Two matching earrings came with it.

"I sense a theme," I teased as I pushed the earrings into my lobes, then brushed my hair aside so Ranger could latch the necklace behind my neck.

His fingers traced down the chain. "Pretty," he murmured into my ear and an involuntary shiver sliced down my spine. "Look."

Ranger nodded toward the window and my gaze followed his instinctively. I gasped. A massive, gleaming cruise ship filled my line of sight, hull a shining white broken by eight tiers of balconies and the bright yellow pops of color from the life boats. It towered over the terminal. A literal floating city.

"Whoa."

Ranger's lips curled into smile against my skin as he kissed me gently behind my ear.

"Show time, Babe. You dazzle me. No one on that ship stands a chance."

* * *

AN: I've added a few pins to the pinterest page for this story, if you are interested in seeing what the Tiffany's jewelry looks like, as well as Steph's new favorite boots. Link is in my profile or you can attempt to decode the link below. Please bring further sunshine to my day with a review. Thanks!

pinterest.c o m (backlash) ccstraub (backslash) making-waves (backslash)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A flush crept through my face at Ranger's encouragement. If I could con some of the most hardened criminals in Jersey, why couldn't I do the same to a ship full of regular people and one very good jewel thief? With a deep breath, I straightened my back and lifted my chin.

When Lester opened my door, I stepped out as Stephanie Wheeler: rich, sophisticated, and dripping with diamonds. Ranger wrapped his arm around my waist the moment he exited behind me, pulling me against him in an affectionate and possessive manner, playing the part of Carlos Prieto.

Multiple porters immediately rushed forward, practically elbowing each other out of the way to be the first to offer their services to the clearly well-to-do couple. It took everything in me not to laugh out loud. Instead, I adopted a bored resting bitch face. Lester scurried around to the trunk and he and the winning porter begin to lift out our matching luggage set, placing it carefully on a waiting cart. My carefully sculpted face nearly dissolved when I realized the brown and tan bags were all by Louis Vuitton.

Perhaps sensing the tremble in my body, Ranger surreptitiously slipped a crisp hundred-dollar-bill to the porter, then quickly steered me inside. Following signs for embarkation, we breezed through security with no trouble at all. Ranger led me to the express VIP check-in desk and past the huge line of passengers waiting to check-in. My skin crawled under the effect of dozens of envious eyes.

This might be the longest nine days of my life.

Ranger, of course, had timed our arrival perfectly. Our cheery agent, much accustomed to serving the grossly wealthy, barely batted her eyes as she congratulated us on our excellent choice of accommodations in the Royal Loft Suite. She checked our fake passports, my heart beating in the ears the entire time, terrified she might ask me about one of the many countries stamped inside. Thankfully, she handed them back with a smile, informed us we could begin boarding in five minutes, then ushered us to a private suite-guest waiting area. A few other couples sat spaced out around the posh lounge. A liveried attendant shoved two bubbling champagne flutes into our hands and wished us bon voyage.

"And might I say, Ma'am, your necklace and bracelet are gorgeous," she added.

Stopping my eyes from narrowing in suspicion, I smiled back at her as I touched the diamonds. I noted the name on the gold badge on her chest, just in case. "Thank you. My boyfriend bought them for me for Valentine's Day because his love for me is infinite." I leaned my head against Ranger's leather clad shoulder and fluttered my eyelashes up at him.

A surprisingly genuine smile flitted across his lips as he addressed the attendant. "I wish I could find a better way to show her how much I love her, but she does seem to love jewelry. I swear, she packed two-hundred carats worth just for this cruise."

Smooth, Casanova, real smooth. Playing the part, I rose onto my tiptoes, giggling as I kissed his cheek sloppily. The husband in the couple sitting nearest us rolled his eyes, failing to notice the wistful look of longing crossing his wife's face.

A few minutes later, we were all herded up a switch backed, enclosed gangplank toward the waiting cruise ship. At one of the turns, a large tropical backdrop had been erected. A photographer and his assistant tried to entice the travelers in front of us into posing, but they all waved him off. I didn't care if it wasn't in character, I wasn't missing my chance to get photographic evidence of Ranger in color. Even if I had to buy the photo with my own money after we caught the jewel thief.

"Come on, honey bun, let's get a picture. Just for fun."

I dragged Ranger toward the backdrop as he groaned but didn't offer any physical resistance. I handed the photographer my new SeaPass card, which would not only unlock our room, but also serve as a credit card and personal identification for the entire cruise.

The photographer, Roberto according to his name tag, clapped his hands in delight, skipping around to the back of the tripod that held his digital camera as his assistant posed us against the horrifically gaudy backdrop. With our long pants, sweaters, winter jackets, and carry-on bags, no one in their right mind would look at this photo and think it was taken in the tropics. Turning me at the waist, the assistant placed my hand against Ranger's chest. She reached toward him to adjust his pose, but after meeting his stern gaze, clearly thought better of it and traipsed out of the shot.

"Beautiful," Roberto crowed. He snapped a few more. "What a gorgeous couple. I can't wait to see you again on the first formal night. You two are what an artist's dreams are made of. So photogenic!"

Judging by his stiff muscles, Ranger's patience for my little escapade was exhausted. Without waiting to be dismissed, he took my hand and dragged up toward the ship. I just managed to snag my cruise card back from the photographer as we passed.

"Honey bun?" Ranger hissed into my ear.

"Don't like it?" I shot him a cheeky grin. "How do you feel about sweetie pie?"

"Let's just go with Carlos."

I rolled my eyes. "Most couples have pet names."

"Babe."

Even his searing look couldn't chase away my teasing mood.

"See. Babe is good. Common. You could be my little krimpet."

Something akin to pain warped Ranger's face. "Now you're just going through names of Tastykakes."

"Makes honey bun seem like not such a big deal, right?"

Ranger shook his head, an exasperated sigh slipping out. Still, I could see him fighting to hold back his smile. "Be careful what games you want to play, pollito."

I waded through my vague memories of high school Spanish class. "Did you just call me a chicken?"

The smile threatening the corners of his lips exploded into existence. "I'm impressed, pollito. Literally, it means little chicken, but metaphorically it refers to someone one finds cute. Very common term of endearment among the Hispanic community."

I scowled. "Point taken, _Carlos."_

Any further banter died as we reached the hull of the ship. A crewman had us scan our cruise cards on a very futuristic looking kiosk before giving us an enthusiastic, "Welcome aboard!"

Stepping past him, my breath exited my lungs in one big exhale. A large, lit sign above our head read Royal Esplanade. A smaller sign on the wall alerted us to the fact we were on Deck 5. A sleekly modern corridor curved along both sides of an open stairwell, a glass railing providing a clear view of the deck below. Various restaurants, bars, and lounges lined either side of the corridor with additional restaurants and high-end shops visible on the deck below. Everything shimmered as if brand new, not a speck of dust or dirt to be seen.

Ranger slid his hand into mine, entwining our fingers. "Let's get you acquainted with the ship, Babe."

We spent the next couple hours roaming every public inch of the immaculate ship. Ranger had, unsurprisingly, memorized the deck plans ahead of time and seemed to think I possessed the capacity to do the same. I prayed there would be a map in our suite.  
I tried to maintain my calm exterior. As if I were used to this sort of grandeur on a daily basis. Although we were some of the first guests aboard, there were crew aplenty. And any one of them might be our thief.

We toured fancy dining rooms, restaurants, and more bars than I could count. There were nightclubs, theaters, and a spa. A casino worthy of Vegas filled the lower decks, flashing lights and sleek slot machines as far as the eye could see. On the top-most deck, a giant plexiglass viewing ball could lift passengers 300 feet above the waves for 360-degree panoramic vistas. Pools and hot tubs aplenty dotted the rest of the deck, one with a swim-up bar, another featuring a huge movie screen and acres of loungers, and even a Grecian themed indoor oasis just for adults. We sat down at the attached café for a quick lunch before Ranger continued his mandatory expedition.

Even ultra rich snobs must show emotion sometimes. Walking around a corner and finding a bumper car rink in the middle of a cruise ship seemed like the appropriate time.

"No way!" I looked at the line of colorful cars, back at Ranger, then back to the bumper cars, sure I'd hallucinated them the first time. Nope. Still there. "Oh, you're so going down later," I challenged, nudging him playfully in the side.

His lips curled upward. "Game on, Babe."

A little after two in the afternoon, we made our way to our room on deck 8. Actually, Ranger made our way to our room. I followed, completely lost and befuddled by this point.

The lock clicked as Ranger tapped his SeaPass card against the reader. When he pushed the door open, I swooned. Gripping the door frame, my eyes darted around a hardwood floored space larger than my apartment. Glass rose on two sides, floor to ceiling spanning two floors, offering a breathtakingly panoramic view. A modern, L-shaped sofa took up some of the open floor space, large flat screen tv on the wall, with a dining table capable of sitting six to its left. Above it all, a spiral crystal chandelier sprouted from the ceiling. A set of carpeted steps led upward to a loft. Glass doors opened to a wraparound balcony with additional dining space, as well as lounge chairs and a private hot tub that overlooked the aft of the ship.

Finally finding my feet, I stumbled forward and peeked inside the first of two doors to find a full bathroom. A bedroom with two twin beds appeared behind the second.

"We're sleeping separately?"

Ranger chuckled, his eyes darkening as they widened. "The suite can sleep six, Babe. Master bedroom is upstairs." He pointed upward.

My knees shook slightly as I climbed the steps. Clear railings provided uninterrupted views, giving me a vertigo inspiring sensation that the walkway at the top levitated in midair. At the end, a door-less, circular space comprised of curved glass walls with curtains, currently open, housed an enormous king-sized bed, matching nightstands, a set of leather chairs, and small table. Two doorways to either side of the bed led into a huge walk-in closet and connected master bathroom with a stone tiled shower that could easily fit two people.

Blood rushed to both my face and points farther south as my mind conjured up a clear image of a naked Ranger pressing me up against the wall of the shower. I shook it away a second later before I ruined my panties. That was exactly the type of thinking that got us in trouble in Hawaii.

Retreating downstairs, I dropped my red Fendi bag onto the couch and stepped out onto the balcony. The frigid February air chilled my blood. And my lust.

Ranger stepped out behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. Although freezing with a strong wind, a cloudless blue sky stretched all the way to the horizon. Sunlight sparkled off the black, choppy water. Ahead of us, we had a stunning view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty against New York City's rearing skyline.

"I'm looking forward to putting that hot tub to good use," he murmured into my ear, his hands slowly inching up the front of my sweater.

I flashed back to the ways he'd put our private hot tub to "good use" in Hawaii and any effect the cold had on my body was instantly reversed.

"There could be people on the balcony above us," I pointed out in a breathy voice. In Hawaii, we had a private bungalow with no neighbors. Thank God.

"Guess you'll just have to remember to be quiet," he returned, his breath blowing across my ear. "We've got time to practice working up to it."

The words went straight to my doodah. "When do we begin bugging the room?" I asked in a desperate bid to steer the topic away from sex.

Ranger's hands halted their exploration of my torso just shy of my underwire. "Inside."

I moved quickly, putting as much room between myself and temptation as possible. I heard Ranger chuckle as he slid the door to the balcony closed. When he turned, and I met his eyes, I got the distinct impression I was the mouse the cat had just released so it could stalk it again.

"We can't set up the cameras under after dinner, when our luggage arrives. It was too risky to put the equipment through the security check, so the ship's head of security has arranged to slip an identical bag into our checked luggage that will contain everything we need."

I breathed a small sigh of relief. Surely, with a bugged room tonight, Ranger wouldn't attempt anything in bed.

A loud rap on the door caused me to jump. Ranger peered through the peephole first, before opening the door. An employee stood primly on the other side, dressed in crisp black pants, a white dress shirt, and gray vest. The silver cart he was pushing held a large bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice, two flutes, and a platter of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Compliments of the Captain," the attendant said in a thick Eastern European accent. "May I?"

Ranger stepped aside and warmly motioned the man to enter. I raised my eyebrows at Ranger, who shrugged behind the attendant's back.

"Guess they weren't kidding about the VIP treatment," I mused aloud.

"Anything for our best guests," the employee returned, parking the cart next to the dry bar along the far wall. "My name is Misha, and I will be your suite attendant. If there is anything you need at any point, just press 1 on your suite phone and I will be happy to accommodate your request." He moved the champagne, flutes, and strawberries onto the bar. "There is a mandatory muster drill at three, and a sail away party in the Music Hall after. Your muster station is E2, located inside the Two70 theatre on deck 5. If you need assistance finding your way, I'll be in the hallway when the drill signal sounds."

"Thank you," Ranger said simply, but with a definite sense of finality.

Misha recognized the unspoken dismissal, nodded to us both, and backed out of the room with a smile.

"Is he our number one suspect?" I asked immediately after Ranger ensured the door had locked behind him.

"No."

I waited for a few beats before rolling my eyes. "Care to elaborate why? He's got access to our room and plenty of reasons to be in here unsupervised."

"Too obvious," Ranger replied. "The cruise line looked at the attendants immediately after the first thefts were reports. They rotate decks and staterooms each cruise. The same attendant was not present for any of the thefts."

Reaching into my pocket, I felt the corners of my SeaPass card. "Each time I open the door, isn't it logged somewhere? Can't they just go through and see who entered the room and narrow down their list?"

Ranger smiled as he walked over to the bar and popped the cork on the bottle of champagne. "I like how you're thinking, Babe. But the system is wiped after each cruise. With months passing between the passengers disembarking and the thefts being reported, there's no log to look at. We're not dealing with an amateur here. He or she knows the ins and outs of not getting caught."

A loud sigh escaped as I took the flute of champagne Ranger offered me. "What if we're looking in the wrong place. I mean, the room's got a safe, right? Shouldn't that protect the jewelry the entire time we're here?"

"Another good thought." He took a sip of his champagne. "But you're making a faulty assumption."

I took a bite of a chocolate covered strawberry and wiped the juice off my chin. "I am?"

"Let me show you."

I followed Ranger upstairs and into the closet attached to the master bedroom. A small safe rested on one of the shelves, identical to nearly every hotel room safe I'd ever seen. The door sat ajar, ready for new guests.

"Pick a code, Babe. One I won't guess." He turned his back on me.

I thought for a second, then followed the instructions on the top of the safe to set a new code. I entered my old highschool locker combination, knowing there was no way Ranger could possibly know it. Trying the handle, I assured it was now locked.

"Done."

Ranger turned around and came up behind me. "Watch." He tapped in a code and tried the handle. Nothing. He tapped in a different code. Again nothing. Third time, he tapped in a number nowhere near my locker combination, but the safe still sprang open anyway.

I picked my jaw up off the floor, then demanded, "How did you do that? That wasn't even the combination I picked."

"What do you think happens when a guest accidently locks themselves out of the safe? Or they checkout but leave the safe locked? There are a set number of override codes created by the manufacturer for just such occurrences. If I can memorize them, so can our perp."

"Thanks. Now I'll never feel secure putting any valuables in a hotel safe again." I shook my head. "So, if it's not the suite attendant, we're just praying the thief decides to target our room?"

"Relax, Babe. You're going to make us look too good to resist."

"So that's your plan? Really? Just pretend we're actually on vacation and try and make ourselves as noticeable as possible?"

"Babe, if this were a real vacation, you'd be under me in that bed already. And we'd barely see anything beyond these four walls for the next nine days."

"That sounds an awful lot like what happened in Hawaii."

Ranger grinned. "Best vacation I've had in years."

Crossing my arms, I huffed. "We were there to catch the Rug. And we failed."

Ranger followed me from the closet and back downstairs. Moodily, I ate another chocolate covered strawberry. They were good, but a Boston cream donut would be better.

"We'll get our guy this time, Babe." Ranger picked up a strawberry and fed it to me, then nibbled the non-chocolate covered edges of the fruit I'd left behind. "And still have some fun while we're at it."

Pretty sure when he said "fun" he wasn't referring to any of the ship's amenities, except perhaps, that private hot tub on our balcony.

Just as I polished off the last strawberry, the announcement sounded through the ship's speaker system for the mandatory muster drill. We joined the swell of bodies merging on the staircases, employees preventing us from accessing the elevators since those would be unavailable during a real emergency. After a half hour of safety lectures, we were dismissed.

Ranger insisted that Stephanie Wheeler and Carlos Prieto make an appearance at the sail away party. The Music Hall was packed with people, the sounds of the steel drum band on the stage echoing loudly off every wall in the hopes of getting people in the tropical spirit. Ranger led me up a curving staircase to the second floor, where the noise was less intense. We settled into two of the last remaining seats next to the windows. A waiter immediately appeared and asked, in a genuine Jamaican accent, if we'd like drinks.

I raised my eyebrows at Ranger, willing to follow his lead. I was already feeling pretty darn good after the champagne and strawberries in our room.

"Order whatever you'd like, love," Ranger advised with a smile, his arm slung around my shoulders, fingers stroking the bare skin on my shoulder. He was in full Carlos Prieto mode.

The waiter sensed his opportunity for a jackpot and ran through a list of custom drinks so fast I could barely keep up.

"Surprise me," I told him, figuring that would be sure to earn me the most expensive drink on that list. We were supposed to be flaunting the wealth, after all.

Ranger ordered a beer and the waiter disappeared with a grin.

Five minutes later, the man returned with a tray bearing a dark bottle of beer and a huge, fish bowl sized glass filled with electric blue liquid. It was mottled with cherries and lemon wedges. A neon green straw poked out of the top, along with a huge wedge of pineapple impaled on the edge and a stunning pink and white lily floating on top.

At least ten other guests followed the tray with their eyes. Well, if Ranger wanted us to be a spectacle, mission accomplished. Everyone on board also now thought I was a lush.

Ranger signed the receipt, leaving an exorbitant tip that made the waiter's eyes double in size.

"Have a wonderful vacation," he beamed at us before several other travelers motioned him over to inquire about my drink.

I looked down at the glass and promised myself I'd only take a few sips as we watched the coastline disappear into the horizon. Forty-five minutes later the bowl was empty, and I felt like I was on top of the world. The effects hadn't much worn off when Ranger declared it was time to head to one of the four main dining rooms for dinner.

"Aren't we supposed to be, like, dressed up or something?" I asked, looking down at my skinny jeans.

"Dress code is waived the first night aboard, since luggage isn't delivered to all the staterooms yet. But other than tonight, yes, we'll be dressed up." His eyes cut over to a crewman standing close enough to overhear us, before adding loudly, "Don't worry, love, you'll have plenty of chances to show off all the jewelry you brought."

An unintentional giggle broke through my lips. Thankfully, it seemed an appropriate response to the comment.

Ranger stood and offered me his hand as I rose, unsteadily, to my feet as well. "Let's get some food in you."

On our way to the dining room, Ranger stopped at the ship's concierge desk to sign us up for something called the Ultimate Cruise Ship Tour taking place the next day. He didn't even bat an eye when the woman behind the desk informed him the tour was four hundred dollars a person, just nonchalantly slid his SeaPass card across the desk.

I raised my eyebrows at him as he led me away.

"Money well spent to get a glimpse at parts of the ship usually off limits to the public."

"And potentially catch the eye of our jewel thief, if he or she is working away from the public this cruise," I added in a whisper.

Ranger tapped the side of my head lightly. "We're on the same page, Babe." He pulled me into his side affectionately, taking my hand for the remainder of the walk to the dining room.

"We're signed up for the freestyle dining option," Ranger told me as we rode an empty elevator down to the lowest public levels of the ship. "It means we aren't locked into a set dining time each day and can choose which dining room to eat at. It also means we'll have a different set of dining staff each night."

"Throwing ourselves in front of as many staff as possible."

Ranger nodded. "But it also means we need to make ourselves memorable to a different set of people each night."

Oh boy. "Do I want to know what you have planned for tonight?"

"Tonight, we flaunt our money in a generous way."

Before I could ask what he meant, we arrived at the end of a long line of people waiting to get into The Grande dining room. It moved quickly, and we soon found ourselves seated around a large table for ten, starting at eight strangers.

The middle-aged woman to my left peered at the crisp white tablecloth, assortment of flatware, and intricately folded napkins.

"Well, isn't this fancy," she said in a thick midwestern accent. "I've never seen so many forks in my life. Goodness me. I'm Darla, by the way," she addressed the entire table. "And this here's my hubby, Steve." She patted the shoulder of the bearded man sitting to her left. "We're celebrating our fiftieth birthdays," she announced in a stage whisper, "but don't tell Steve, he's touchy about being over-the-hill."

A few chuckles were heard around the table.

Her candor loosened the awkwardness of dining with perfect strangers, and we went around the table introducing ourselves. Next were Stanley and Phyllis, the elderly couple on their first cruise to celebrate a mind-boggling sixty years of marriage. Mine hadn't even made it past sixty days. My heart nearly melted at how tenderly Stanley looked at his wife as he lifted her gnarled, trembling hand to kiss it softly. Next to them, two newlyweds ogled each other so often I wanted to tell them to just order room service and go hole up in their room. Finally, a snooty couple who, based on their clothing and jewelry, might be truly as rich as Ranger and I were pretending to be.

Great, unwitting competition.

"Carlos," Ranger said as eight sets of eyes landed on him expectantly. "And this is my beautiful girlfriend, Stephanie."

A waiter stepped up and introduced himself, asking if anyone would like drinks. Ranger immediately jumped in.

"I'd like to buy for the table." Multiple eyes widened as several people murmured their thanks. The male half of the snobbish couple rolled his eyes. "It seems many of us are here celebrating important life events, so what do you say to a bottle of Dom Perignon?" The eye rolling ceased suddenly. Ranger looked my way, contemplatively. "Do you think two bottles will be enough, love?"

Even in my mildly inebriated state, I knew how to play along. Caressing his shoulder, I simpered. "Let's not risk it. Better make it three."

Ranger handed over his SeaPass and the waiter looked as though he has just struck the lottery. "Right away, sir."

Underneath the table, I squeezed the side of my chair until the urge to squeal in both delight and horror passed. I'd just ordered nine-hundred-dollars worth of champagne.

Next to me, Darla elbowed Steve. "And _you_ wanted to eat at the buffet." She snorted.

The wealthy man to Ranger's right offered his hand, and the two were soon talking business. I'd never heard Ranger make small talk, but it apparently wasn't because he was bad at it. Our server soon returned with a parade of additional crew. Two bus boys set out the flutes. Another pushed the serving cart containing the three bottles of Dom Perignon on ice. The dining room manager congratulated us on our choice of champagne and wished us bon voyage. Finally, the cruise director arrived, who had us all lift our insanely expensive drinks and toast to a fabulous trip.

As I sipped from my glass, I eyed Ranger from the corner of my eye. For a man who could move like a shadow and disappear like smoke, he sure did know how to make a spectacle.

Through the bubbly inebriation seeping into my mind, I fought a growing unease. Something warned me this was just the pebble that would lead to ever widening ripples. We were going to make waves for sure. I just prayed they wouldn't become a tsunami and drown me.

* * *

AN: I've combined elements of a couple different cruise lines for this fic, which is partly why I never name the cruise line. But if you'd like a better idea of the ship, I based the deckplans, rooms, and most of the activities off Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, which really does sail out of Cape Liberty.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

By the end of dinner, I'd moved well past tipsy, courtesy of magically refilling glasses of Dom Perignon. Ranger guided me back to our room with an arm around my waist. When we entered, a pile of Louis Vuitton luggage greeted us.

I groaned. "I forgot we still need to bug the room." I stepped toward the luggage but swayed so dangerously that Ranger grabbed me.

"Whoa. Guess that's why they call it the high seas."

Ranger chuckled. "Babe, the sea has nothing to do with it." Ensuring I was steady once more, he removed his hands from my waist. "I'll carry the suitcases upstairs. You can unpack our clothes while I take care of the cameras."

"I feel like you're getting me out of the way."

Ranger kissed my forehead. "For your own protection. You can barely stand. I don't want you climbing on furniture to hide cameras."

Begrudgingly, I admitted he had a point. Call me a marshmallow, 'cause I was toasted. And that was not a good state to be in when dealing with surveillance equipment.

It took me about five minutes of pawing through pile after pile of designer clothes to finally go numb to the extravagance. This was the next eight days of my life and I just needed to get used to it. Once I was done unpacking, I stripped off my clothes as I yawned. Ella had packed several beautiful silk and lace chemises, all of which seemed exactly what Stephanie Wheeler would sleep in. Stephanie Plum, on the other hand, preferred cotton shorts and a loose t-shirt, none of which appeared in my new wardrobe.

Ella had, however, packed workout clothes for Ranger, so I pilfered one of his t-shirts and slipped it on. It hit mid-thigh. After washing up in the master bathroom, I sat down on the edge of the bed, intending to rest for a few minutes before seeing if Ranger needed any help with the cameras.

Next thing I knew, my eyes opened to a dark room as a set of warm arms wrapped around me from behind. Sleep called me back into oblivion as Ranger tugged me against his chest and pulled the blankets over us.

The sound of muffled voices and a door closing hauled me back to consciousness. The curtains were drawn around the bedroom, but sunlight streamed in through the doorway. After answering Mother Nature's call, splashing some water into my face, and partially taming my hair, I groggily padded downstairs.

Ranger stood with his back to me, already dressed in tan slacks and a chocolate sweater, staring at the open ocean through the massive windows. He raised a coffee mug to his lips. On the dining table next to him sat another mug, carafe of coffee, and two plates covered with silver domes.

I watched him take another sip, his body relaxed. An ease I wasn't accustomed to seeing. Usually whatever brought us together led to stress rather than relaxation, except, of course, the kind of release we found in the body of the other.

Suddenly, I needed to touch him, and I couldn't explain to myself why.

I'm sure he heard me approach, but he didn't turn. I slipped my arms beneath his, pressing my palms to his chest as I rose on my tiptoes to kiss the side of his neck. He leaned into the contact, his free hand covering mine as a contented sound vibrated in his throat.

We stood that way for a few minutes, my chin resting on his shoulder, our cheeks touching as we watching the white-capped waves breaking beyond the edge of our balcony.

Ranger broke the spell with a heavy exhale. I'd call it a sigh if I didn't know better. Tension returned to his muscles. "Breakfast is getting cold." He stepped forward, out of my embrace.

He took a seat at the table with his back to the windows. I sat to his right and lifted the cover off my plate, pleased to see eggs over easy, two slices of bacon, and whole-wheat toast. I would have liked to see a side of hash browns, but seeing as Ranger ordered, I counted the bacon among my blessings.

"Sorry I couldn't help with the cameras last night," I told him between bites. Swiveling my neck, I tried to spot where he'd hidden them. "You got them up, right?"

Ranger nodded over his grapefruit and side of scrambled egg whites. "Air vents. One covering the main door. Another in our closet, with a view of the safe."

"Note to self, don't get undressed in the closet."

It looked like Ranger was thinking of smiling. "The system is run from my laptop and will only be active when we leave the room. We don't have the bandwidth to stream it live to Rangeman, so we will review the footage ourselves each evening." He paused, a definite smile threatening the corners of his mouth. "If we don't catch our perp on it, we can always find other ways to make reviewing it more interesting."

I choked on my mouthful of toast. Ranger grinned.

After several gulps of coffee, I asked, "What's our plan for the day?"

Growing serious, Ranger slid a piece of paper my direction. It read _Cruise Compass_ across the top, followed by a list of activities, times, and locations.

"I thought we could spend the morning in the casino."

"Feeling lucky?" I teased.

His eyes darkened. "I plan to get lucky well before we step foot in the casino."

Heat shot through my veins. It took me a moment to collect my thoughts again. "And after the casino?" My voice trembled slightly.

"Lunch, then we have the ship tour at 1. Tonight's the first formal night, so you'll really have a chance to catch our thief's eye at dinner and at the theater show after."

"Busy day," I remarked, pushing away my empty plate.

Ranger nodded, standing. "Besides staying in expensive suites, there isn't a lot to connect the victims. A few commonalities include patronizing the casino, the on-board shows, and eating in the dining rooms instead of the buffet."

Standing, I pushed in my chair. "So you're hoping our perp works one of those spots. Hook him early."

"Exactly." Ranger closed the space between us. "If we catch this guy early on, we get the rest of the cruise to do whatever we like."

I got the distinct notion doing whatever we liked would involve a whole lot of time in between the sheets. A shiver coursed through my body. Reading my mind, Ranger dipped his head to capture my lips. By the time he pulled away, I panted heavily.

"I should probably grab a shower," I muttered, trying to wiggle out of his arms.

"Mmm," he kissed me again and my body ignited in all the right places. "Me too. Might as well do it together. Save time. And water."

The vision of Ranger pressing me against the shower wall filled my mind again. A small moan slipped from my lips.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I managed to murmur with my last thread of coherency.

This is how it had started in Hawaii, with a seductive kiss. It had only gone downhill in the best possible way after that.

Ranger's lips crashed into mine again. When he finally released them, his eyes were black. "No, but there's no going back now."

Pretty sure he wasn't talking about sex in the shower.

He tugged me toward the steps, dragging me upstairs and into the bathroom. Reaching into the shower, he started the water. As the room filled with steam, he grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and hauled it over my head. We were both naked within a few seconds.

As we stepped under the stream of water, I expected Ranger to pounce. Instead, he reached for his bottle of Bulgari Green. Popping the cap, he motioned me to step closer. I did so, with a visible gulp that made him smirk.

He twirled his finger in the air, the universal sign for "turn around." Again, I obeyed. Ranger stepped forward, filling the space between us and pressing his erection into my back as he poured a dollop of Bulgari directly onto my head. Returning the bottle to the wall shelf, he began to knead it into my scalp.

Between the head massage and the overwhelming scent of Bulgari, I couldn't help but moan. When he was done with my hair, he moved his soapy hands down my body, washing my skin thoroughly. He paid special attention to my breasts, my head falling back against his chest with a little gasp as he teased my nipples. By the time he slipped his fingers between my legs, I was mewling. His touch didn't linger, though. Instead, he pressed the bottle of Bulgari into my trembling hands.

His turn.

Quickly, I rinsed. Then I turned, putting us chest to chest. Ranger watched my every move with eyes that smoldered like coals. As I rubbed the suds into his short hair, his eyelids fluttered closed, a low moan rumbling in his throat. It sent another rush of heat through my core.

He kept his eyes closed as I trailed down his body, washing him in the same manner he had me. My fingertips traced the scars that marred his Adonis-like body. First, the one on his neck. Then I found my way to the one on his shoulder. Both from Scrog. Bullets taken willingly in a plea to prevent harm from coming to me or Julie.

Leaning forward, I kissed the blemish on his shoulder, my lips lingering over the rough skin. The day he'd received it, I'd realized I loved him with a depth I tried not to dwell on.

"Babe."

I looked up at his gruff voice, finding his eyes open once more. Desire still swam in them, but something else caused them to soften around the edges. Not for the first time, I wondered if Ranger really could read my mind.

A second later, his mouth crashed down on mine and all further thoughts of washing ceased. He backed me into the wall, passing under the water to wash the remaining soap from his chiseled body. Sliding his hands under my ass, he lifted me and pressed into my core. My legs locked around his waist, the wall providing the needed leverage to rock my hips into him.

We both groaned in unison.

I expected Ranger to move with a sprinter's pace, but instead he thrust into my body in long, slow movements. His lips never left my skin, only glided from one part of my body to the next as he slowly drove me to the brink of insanity. My body was a book he knew by heart, and he took his sweet time getting to the climax. Our cries echoed off the tile as we found euphoria together.

Limbs like rubber, I leaned against Ranger once my feet touched the floor again, letting him support my weight. He kissed my forehead and I could feel the smile on his lips.

"We've got a lot more practicing to do before you're ready for that hot tub."

My eyes widened. "You weren't so silent yourself. And if that's all it'll take for you to keep your hands to yourself in the hot tub, well, I'll be sure to scream the Hallelujah chorus for the rest of the week."

Ranger kissed me roughly. "Any more talk of you screaming and we'll never get to the casino."

He tugged my hand, pulling me out of the shower and shoving a fluffy towel into my arms.

Half an hour later, my hair was dry and styled, and I was dressed in another pair of expensive skinny jeans, eggplant Burberry v-neck cashmere sweater, and my new favorite red-soled booties. Rubbing my hands together, I addressed Ranger.

"Okay, how many carats you got for me today?"

He laughed lightly. "Am I creating a monster?"

"Just getting in character," I shot back with a grin.

Ranger opened the safe and pulled out three Anita Ko boxes. The first held a yellow-gold chain with a drop pendant containing eleven round diamonds in a graduated order. He clipped it behind my neck and it fell perfectly into my cleavage. Matching earrings slid into my earlobes next. Finally, Ranger cracked the hinges on the final box to reveal a stunning cuff bracelet, two rows of rectangular diamonds circling the entire thing in a pattern akin to a zipper. I slipped it onto my wrist, where it sparkled with even the tiniest movement.

"Astronauts on the space station can see this puppy," I remarked, turning my wrist this way and that.

"Good, then our thief should notice it no problem."

"Did you pick out all this jewelry?" I admired the ensemble in the floor length mirror on the back of the bathroom door.

Ranger shook his head. "Just one piece, which you haven't seen yet. The rest was provided by a pair of jewelers who also happen to be Rangeman clients. It's all heavily insured and goes back to them after the cruise."

Before we left the suite, Ranger showed me how to enable the security cameras using his laptop, and how to disable them if I returned to the room alone. Then he guided me toward the door.

"What about the room service dishes? Shouldn't we put them to the hall to be picked up?"

"Not when we want to give every employee on the ship a good opportunity to snoop around our room."

"Let's just leave a trail of diamond crumbs to a box propped up by a stick. That ought to do it."

"Babe." His voice sounded exasperated, but his eyes smiled.

Ranger took my hand as we left. Our fingers meshed naturally, steps falling in sync together without thought. We turned heads on our way to the casino, and I felt every eye as acutely as a needle stick. Ranger, on the other hand, appeared to be in his element. His body relaxed, a small smile on his lips, though the light of it didn't reach his eyes. He was a man doing his job. And doing it well.

The casino buzzed with activity, the sound of electronic reels and coins filling the air. The average age of the people in the room fell somewhere between Grandma Mazur and dirt.

"I can kill a few hours here." Looking around, I spotted the group of slot machines with a Penny Cove sign above them. Perfect.

Ranger snagged my waist and dragged me back to him. "Where do you think you're going?" he hissed into my ear.

"Slots." I nodded toward the machines.

"Try again, Babe. Today, we're high rollers." He turned me so my eyes fell on the corded off section of the casino reserved for those with more money than common sense.

I sighed. It was one thing to wear thousands of dollars in designer clothes and accessories. At least this stuff served a purpose, and Ranger could probably resell it and recoup some of the costs. But giving me a free pass in the high roller section of a casino, well, might as well just dump money off the back of the ship.

Ranger offered me his arm and, once I took it, led the way. The attendant manning the entrance eyed us as we approached.

"Good morning, Sir. Madam. May I scan your SeaPass cards?"

We handed them over and he slid both through a reader on the side of a tablet. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he handed them back.

"Everything appears in order, Mr. Prieto, Ms. Wheeler. You currently have five thousand in your shared account, but if you wish to add more, simply see me." The man smiled as he snapped the release for the velvet rope separating us from the peasants happily pissing away their Social Security checks. "Please, enjoy the complimentary drinks on the house."

At the mention of five thousand dollars to gamble with, my hand instinctively tightened around Ranger's forearm. He gave me a gentle warning look. I took a deep breath and straightened my back.

Even if Ranger and I split the five grand, I could think of a million better ways to blow twenty-five-hundred dollars. Two and a half more pairs of Louboutins made the top of that list. We stepped into the high roller section, and I looked around in mild panic. There were no slot machines here, only table games. I was so screwed.

"I'm going to play some blackjack," Ranger told me, assessing my stiff posture. We still stood within earshot of the gatekeeper. "Why don't you try your luck at roulette, love?"

Roulette. Right. No skill involved, only pure luck, just like the slots. I offered him a grateful smile. "Give me a kiss for luck," I giggled, twirling my hair around my finger.

Ranger pecked my cheek before sauntering over to the blackjack table. I strolled toward the roulette wheel, which sat peacefully still. There were only a few other guests in this section, mostly focused on blackjack and poker.

The lone attendant at the roulette table looked bored, slouched against the far end next to the wheel. He perked up at my approach, brushing his slightly shaggy dirty-blonde hair out of his young face. Reaching up, he straightened the black bow tie against his white dress shirt and tugged at the hem of his black vest, smoothing out any wrinkles.

"Good morning, Ma'am. Minimum bet is $100, what denomination will you be playing today?" His voice rang with a thick Russian accent. The name 'Alexei' was printed on his name tag.

I gulped. Yikes. At $100 a pop, my half of that five grand was going to go quick. "The minimum will be fine." He looked at me expectantly and I realized he needed me to tell him how many markers I wanted. "A thousand to start, please."

"Do you have a color preference?"

I'd enough experience in Atlantic City to remember that roulette wasn't played with monetary chips, but solid colored markers. That way, multiple players could bet on the same numbers without confusion. If I had any left at the end, and that was highly doubtful, each could be redeemed for a $100 casino chip.

"Let's go with green. It's the color of money, right?"

He nodded and gave me a forced smile before counting out ten green markers, then slid them to my spot. I picked up one and considered the game table in front of me. I knew the basic premise of roulette. The bets with better odds were around the outside of the table. I could bet the ball would land on a red or black space, an even or odd number, or a low number or high number, which gave me even odds. I wouldn't win anything, but I wouldn't lose anything. The deeper inside the table I went, the lower my odds of winning but the higher the payout if I did.

"Ma'am?"

I licked my suddenly dry lips and placed my first marker on the "Black" rectangle. I was here with Batman, after all.

Alexei pressed a button and the wheel began to spin, the little white ball skipping along the lacquered outside rim for a good thirty seconds before finally settling into the red twelve. Damn. He scooped up my marker.

A roving attendant stopped to offer me a mimosa, which I gladly accepted, fighting the urge to toss it back like a shot. I could use the liquid courage.

I placed my next marker on the "Black" rectangle again. The wheel spun and the ball slid into the red thirty-six.

"Third time's the charm, right?" I quipped to Alexei as I placed my third bet on "Black" once more. After two reds, the odds were in my favor, right?

Apparently not. This time the wheel stopped on a red twenty-seven.

"First time playing, Ma'am?" He asked with an apologetic grimace as he scooped up my latest bad wager.

I laughed darkly. "Is it that obvious?"

"You're only betting one marker at a time. Up here, they usually throw them around the table like confetti."

Crap. I was giving myself away without even knowing it. I had seven markers left, so I took two and placed one on the inside edge, betting on the entire first column of numbers. The second I placed on the twelve, for my birthday. And Ranger's. That should make it doubly lucky. This time, the ball slipped into the black four, which was located in the first column.

The dealer stripped my marker from the twelve but added two next to my winning bet before clearing that one away. Sweet. I'd broken even at least.

Over the next hour, I won some and lost some, totally confused over the odds of my bets and why I sometimes won more chips than other times. Eventually, the 'lost some' ate down my pile until I had just one marker remaining.

"Go big or go home, right?" I remarked to Alexei, who gave me a polite smile.

I plunked the final piece down on twenty-two. It was the day I'd entered a little diner to meet the badass bounty hunter Connie insisted could show me the ropes. The day Ranger entered my life. The reason I was standing here in the first place.

I held my breath as the ball skittered around the wheel. It slowed, falling towards the numbers, bouncing off several slots before settling into the twenty-two space.

"That means I won?" I stuttered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Alexei eyed me up, apparently waiting for a bigger reaction than I was providing.

"Sweet!"

I watched him stack up a neat column of green chips next to my winning number. Then my mouth fell open as he stacked up another column, then two more, before he swept away the original marker.

Now I understood why he expected a bigger reaction. Holy shit, that was a lot of chips. "Are you sure that's right?"

Alexei blinked, taken aback. "Yes, Ma'am."

I looked at the stacks. "And each one is worth $100?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I saw him gulp, probably expecting me to start screaming in joy or something.

"I think I'd like to cash in now." I gripped the table hard, to keep my knees from buckling. I'd more than doubled the thousand dollars I'd started with.

Alexei took back my green markers and replaced them with a much smaller pile of monetary casino chips. Three bright yellow chips with $1000 emblazoned in their centers, along with two black $100 chips.

My eyes widened. Make that, more than _tripled_ my original thousand dollars. "That's correct? You're sure?" I asked again. It would be my luck for there to be a mistake, and there to be a knock on my door later today demanding the money back.

The dealer paled. "Would you like me to call over the manager, Ma'am?"

I shook my head emphatically. Ranger wouldn't like _that_ kind of attention. After all, I was supposed to know what the hell I was doing. "No, that won't be necessary. Thank you."

Quickly, I dropped the two black hundred dollar chips into the clear tip box attached to the table next to Alexei, atop a few that already rested in it. Fisting the rest of my winnings, I retreated quickly from the table and hightailed it straight to Ranger, practically vibrating with excitement. He pocketed his own chips as I neared, standing as I reached the table.

"That good luck kiss do any good?" he teased, pulling me close and lowering his voice.

I opened my fist to show him the three $1000 chips and his eyebrows climbed. "Not a bad return on $2500."

My eyes traveled back to the roulette table, where I could feel Alexei still watching me. "I only started with $1000 in chips."

Ranger studied me for a second before his face split into a grin. He pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head. "Babe, if that's what you do with a good luck kiss on the cheek, I'm taking you to Atlantic City when we get home and kissing a lot more places than just your face."

A rush of molten lava surged through my body.

Ranger chuckled, reading my thoughts like an open book, and pointed me toward the exit. "Let's cash in and grab lunch before the ship tour."

* * *

AN: The pinterest board has been updated with Steph's jewelry from this chapter. Reviews always appreciated. I had to let Steph have a little bit of fun in this chapter before everything begins to come crashing down around her in the next one.

pinterest.c o m (backslash) ccstraub (backslash) making-waves (backslash)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The view from the bridge of the cruise ship was truly spectacular. If it weren't for the water as far as the eye could see, I might have suspected we were on the helm of a spaceship, with all the high-tech monitors and panels of glowing buttons. And, much to my disappointment, no big spoked wooden wheel to be seen.

It was, appropriately, the conclusion of our ship tour. Becky, our energetic cruise director, had personally led our little group through all sorts of off-limits space, including the ship's infirmary, kitchens, theater backstage, printing press, laundry facilities, and engine room. I immediately saw why Ranger had built this into his plan. We'd been introduced to numerous crew members, who answered the group's questions patiently. I tried to think of a question at each stop, for no other reason than to draw attention to myself and my jewelry. Roberto, the same enthusiastic photographer from embarkation, followed us around, taking group shots at each location. He promised they would be printed and delivered to our rooms.

Ranger and I stood well apart from the rest of the group on the bridge, looking to all the world like a couple in love enjoying a romantic vista. He had his arm around my waist and my head on his shoulder. In actuality, we were patiently waiting for Captain Davis to make his way over to us for his mandatory greeting. When we could let our façades slip just a little.

"I hope the Royal Loft Suite fits the needs of a businessman such as yourself?" Captain Davis asked in a deep baritone voice, coming to stand beside us. His perfect white teeth were blinding against his dark skin tone. It wasn't hard to imagine his past as a Navy SEAL. The crisp, white captain's uniform did nothing to hide the muscular body beneath.

Ranger nodded. "It is equipped for my needs. Thank you." He reached out his hand and Captain Davis shook it.

"Ranger," he mouthed in greeting. "It is good to see you again," he added softly, the words meant only for the three of us.

"The same," Ranger replied, a genuine smile on his face. "May I introduce my associate, Miss Stephanie Plum."

I reached out for a strong-gripped shake with the captain.

"I once had the misfortune of being stuck in a tent with your partner for an entire month, when our mission went south," Davis whispered. "I don't envy you a week with him." With a salacious grin, he added. "My quarters are always open to you if you need some respite."

A growl rumbled in Ranger's chest as his eyes flashed. "I see you're still living up to your nickname," he murmured, his arm tightening around my waist possessively.

Understanding filled the captain's visage. "Ahh, so the affection is not just an Oscar winning act. My apologies." He appeared sincere. Turning to contemplate the view from the window, he added, as if in passing, "I understand you hoped to do some fishing on this trip."

Fishing? Ranger never really struck me as an angler.

"I've brought some excellent bait." Ranger's eyes flashed over to me and I suddenly got the metaphor. "I just hope it brings some bites."

"The fish you're after is elusive, but I wish you success. If there is anything you need, my chief of security has been directed to provide it."

Ranger acknowledged the words with a nod. The two men shook hands again, appearing to an outsider as no more than just new acquaintances, before Captain Davis moved on.

Becky announced the end of the tour and ushered us from the bridge. Once Ranger and I found ourselves alone, walking back to our room, I brought up the conversation with Davis.

"What did you mean, he was living up to his nickname?"

Ranger laughed darkly. "We used to call him Death Wish Davis because he'd be the first one to volunteer for seeming suicide missions."

"But you went on missions together?"

Ranger offered me a pointed look. "Some volunteered, some were voluntold."

"But you both made it out alive."

"I owe him my life on several occasions. And vice versa." Ranger's face softened. "Still doesn't mean I won't throw him over the side if he makes another move on you."

"Maybe you should stop introducing me as your associate if you feel that way."

"If you have a better word to describe us, I'm open to suggestions."

Therein lied the crux of my relationship with Ranger. No word adequately described it. There was no spoken commitment that could in any way make us boyfriend and girlfriend. Lover was certainly close, but also generally not used in introductions. Paramour hit the nail on the head but being introduced as such kind of defeated the purpose of being secret lovers.

"Got anything?" he asked with a wry smile.

"No," I grumbled, and he smirked. It irked me more than expected. "Don't look so smug." I pulled away from his touch. "That just means you're a hypocrite. You can't keep telling people I'm your _associate_ and then get mad when other men hit on me. First the business with Lester, now with Davis. You want to claim me, then you need to pony up."

I clapped my hand over my mouth, realizing what I'd just implied. I'd be in less danger if I'd snuck into a cave covered in honey and poked a sleeping bear.

"Keep your voice down," Ranger hissed, casting his eyes side to side to ensure we weren't overhead.

"You're dodging the subject," I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Not here."

I rolled my eyes at him, then stomped away. I knew I was being juvenile, but then again, so was he. If he wanted to act like my boyfriend, he needed to offer the commitment that came with it.

"Steph." I ignored my name and kept walking. I got five more steps before he called my name again. "Stephanie, stop."

I twirled. "What?"

"Our room is that way." He pointed in the opposite direction I'd been headed.

Dammit. Stupid huge confusing ship. Face flushed, I stalked past him without looking back. Only the prickled hairs on the back of my neck alerted me that he followed a few steps behind. I swiped my card at our door, pushing through it roughly and attempting to slam it behind me, but Ranger caught it, closing in lightly behind him.

"Really? You're acting like a child, Steph."

I spun on my heels and jabbed a finger into his chest. "At least I don't go around pretending I have claims to someone I don't want to put the work into having a relationship with. You don't get to have it both ways, Ranger."

"You think the reason we're not in a relationship is because I don't want to put the work into one?"

"I don't know what you want. That's part of the problem. You're the king of mixed signals. You love me, but in your own way. The kind that comes with condoms, not a ring." I threw his own words from long ago back in his face. "But then you take your own cousin to the mats for kissing me on the cheek and humiliate him by making him play chauffeur. You threaten to toss a man who saved your life overboard for flirting with me. Well, news flash, I don't belong to you. I don't belong to Morelli either. Or to my mother. I'm my own person! And I'd appreciate it if you acted like you understood that."

I stood fuming, my chest heaving with each breath.

Ranger assessed me for a second. "You're right. I'm sorry."

I blinked, waiting for more. More never came. "That's it? That's all you're going to say? You're sorry?"

"What else do you want from me?" He looked truly perplexed over why I couldn't just accept the apology.

"I want to know what you really want, Ranger. If I'm wrong about my assumption that we're not together because you don't want to put the work in, then enlighten me. What do you want?"

He shook his head. "What I want is irrelevant." He answered so softly I barely caught the words.

"Argh!" In frustration, I beat both my fists off his chest. He didn't even flinch. Just stood, statuesque, watching me with sad eyes.

"Babe, believe me when I say you don't want to know."

"Because all you want is a fuck buddy and a bauble to hang off your arm when you need bait?"

He stepped toward me suddenly and fear ignited in my belly. If I played with fire long enough I was bound to get burned, and I'd just poured gasoline all over my body. His touch, however, fell feather light as one hand caressed the side of my face.

I took a deep breath and softened my voice. "Tell me. Please. What do you want?" Good or bad, I needed to hear it from him. Needed to know where we stood in this murky water.

His eyes closed as he leaned in, resting his forehead against mine. All the fight immediately left my muscles, instinct molding our bodies together.

"What I want…" his voice cracked, and he swallowed once before starting over, words barely rising above a whisper. "I want to be the only man you kiss for the rest of your life. I want my ring on your finger and my name to follow yours. I want to wake up next to you each morning and come home to you each night." His hands trailed down my sides and onto my abdomen. "I want to slip my arms around you and feel the nudges of a child we created together. I want to grow gray with you by my side. Most of all, I want to be the man you deserve."

Whoa.

Time ceased with my sharp inhale. In that instant, the world stopped rotating.

Everything he wanted had been offered to me by Morelli. And I'd turned it down. Convinced myself I didn't want any of those things. Wasn't ready for them.

But if I was truthful with myself, I wanted it all. I just didn't want them with a man who always demanded I change to suit him. No. I wanted them alright, but with Ranger. With the only man in my life who'd ever accepted me just the way I was, flaws and all.

I'd known it the moment I realized I loved him, watching Scrog unload a clip into his body. But I'd buried it to protect myself, because he'd made it clear his life would not allow that.

Digging it up and hauling it to the surface couldn't end well, but I'd never been one to think through my actions. Why start now?  
"You already are the man I deserve," I returned, voice undulating. "If you want those things, all you need to do is ask for them."

Silence enveloped us. When Ranger finally opened his eyes, heartache swam in their depths. "What I want can't be. No matter how much I want them, it doesn't change the fact I can't give them to you."

"Why? If you want it and I want it, then why not?"

"Wanting something doesn't override needs. And above all else, I _need_ to keep you safe. You've already been targeted. If we were more…you'd be hunted by every enemy I've ever made. And there are many. I won't do that to you."

"You're doing it again," I growled, pushing away from him. The world lurched back into motion, bringing a wave of motion sickness with it. "Claiming me, even if it's claiming responsibility for my safety. That's not your decision to make. It's mine. When you can accept that, let's talk."

I ran up the steps, realizing it was a dead-end half way up. Thankfully, Ranger made no move to follow me. Flopping onto the bed, I pulled a pillow over my head. It helped absorb the tears burning in my eyes. We'd barely been on this damn boat for twenty-four hours and already things had gone to shit.

I knew this trip was a bad idea from the start.

The sensation of my pillow leaving my face startled me awake. Blinking, it took a few seconds for me to recall where I was, and the fight that had prompted my retreat to the bedroom.

A fight with Ranger. That was a first.

"We have about an hour before dinner. I figured you'd want the time to get ready, since it's formal night," Ranger told me curtly, placing my pillow next to me on the bed before leaving the bedroom.

Rising, I hauled myself into the shower, then spent the next forty-minutes taming my hair into a sleek up do and applying my makeup. In the closet, I considered the two formal dresses Ella had purchased. One, a skimpy red lace number by Reem Acra, with a deep scoop neckline, cap sleeves, and hem that hit just above the knees, just didn't fit my mood. Instead, I pulled the black Armani floor length gown off the rack. With a plunging v-neckline that went almost to my navel, it certainly provided plenty of real estate to adorn with diamonds. And that was, after all, the entire point of this expedition.

Pulling the dress over my head, I reminded myself I was here to do a job, not fix my personal love life. I slid up the side zipper and admired myself in the mirror. The back was crisscrossed, with a large open triangle on my lower back. Slimming through the waist, it flowed like water over my hips and down to the carpeted floor. Stepping into a pair of 3 inch, black satin Manolo Blahnik d'Orsay heels with a jewel embellished toe, they lifted the gown's hem to float just centimeters off the ground.

"Stunning."

I twirled at Ranger's voice. He'd crept into the closet unheard.

"I could say the same about you." I drank in his black Armani suit, white dress shirt, and silver patterned tie greedily. He must have dressed while I was still primping in the bathroom.

Damn, the sight of him in a tailored suit made it feel like the temperature had suddenly skyrocketed a hundred degrees, regardless of our argument earlier.

Ranger crossed to the safe, tapping in the combination. "If we don't catch the jewel thief's attention with this, I don't think anything will."

He pulled out a large, square, black velvet box. The hinges cracked as he opened it, revealing a breathtaking waterfall necklace. Strings of diamonds in all shapes and sizes hung from the platinum choker, short on the outsides and growing in length as the strands moved inward to compliment the cut of my dress.

"Holy smokes!"

That earned me a smile from Ranger.

By the time he finished decking me out with diamonds, I felt like a billboard for Tiffany's. Matching waterfall earrings hung nearly to my shoulders, diamond bangles clanking around my left wrist. A stunning ring circled my right ring finger, featuring a massive white pearl circled by diamonds. That necklace, though, that was the show stopper.

I became a little concerned when he reached into the safe yet again. "More?"

"You think you're the only who gets to feel pretty?" he teased as he pulled out a box of diamond cufflinks and a silver Omega dress watch.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll make sure I remember to tell Tank he needs to compliment your prettiness more often around the office. We wouldn't want your self-esteem to drop."

Ranger grinned at me and the last of the awkwardness after our disagreement faded away. As he fastened the watch around his left wrist, I fished the cufflinks out of the box.

"Allow me." I slid the cufflinks into place as he held out his arms. It felt totally natural, us getting ready together. "About earlier, I'm sor—"

"Don't apologize, Babe," he cut me off. "You didn't say anything I didn't deserve to hear. And you gave me quite a bit to think on." He held out his elbow. "Shall we?"

Taking a deep breath, I hooked my arm through his and offered him a small smile. He leaned over and laid a sweet kiss on my temple. There was a mutual understanding between us now, though it did nothing to bridge the Grand Canyon sized chasm between what we wanted and reality.

We took the scenic route to dinner. After all, I needed to show off the ice around my neck. Strolling through the esplanade, I window shopped while Ranger people watched. Most of the ship seemed to be out in their finery tonight, so I didn't feel overdressed in the least. As we approached the dining rooms, the throngs of guests thickened. Along both sides of the corridor, photography stations had been set up with backdrops varying from classic black to twinkling views of the ship at sea.

"Mr. Prieto, Ms. Wheeler, please, you just _must_ pose for a photo tonight! You are simply stunning!"

Looking to my right for the sound of the now familiar voice, I found Roberto motioning to us from next to his camera tripod. His small frame bounced with excitement.

Ranger gave me a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. "You attract crazies like flies to—"

I elbowed him sharply before he could finish his thought. "Be nice. He's just doing his job." I had a growing soft spot for the little photographer. How could I not like a clearly gay man who constantly told me how fabulous I looked?

Not to mention, I wanted photographic evidence of my Armani dress.

Ranger humored my indulgence, posing as Roberto's assistant instructed. Though no amount of coaxing could convince him to smile.

It was nearly midnight before we finally made it back to our suite. Dinner had been an elegant, if uneventful, affair. No need for Ranger to make a spectacle tonight, my jewelry did that for us. After, we made our way to the theatre, settling into balcony seats to enjoy a stage show worthy of Broadway.

A yawn cracked my jaw as the suite door closed behind us.

"Go get ready for bed. I'll review the footage."

My ears perked up at that, heart rate chasing away my fatigue instantaneously. "No way. I want to see if we caught anyone!"

Ranger's mouth tilted upward at my enthusiasm. We settled onto the sofa. He rested his laptop on the coffee table and pulled up the recorded footage and set it to play back at an accelerated rate. The only person who entered our room since we left for dinner had been Misha, and he hadn't even looked toward our safe as he replaced our towels and turned down our sheets.

"Damn. No bites."

"It's still early," Ranger replied. "We can hope you were noticed tonight and the thief will take advantage of our day in port tomorrow to snoop while we're away."

"Dare I ask what you have planned to keep us away the entire day?"

His lips twitched. "I've booked us shore excursions through the cruise line for each port of call. The information should be easily accessible to any employee looking to see where and when our time will be otherwise occupied."

I sighed. "I don't get to spend eight hours tanning on a pink sand Bermudian beach tomorrow, do I?"

"Correct. We're going on an island tour. Wear your sneakers."

"Yippee." The sarcasm lay thick in my words.

Ranger looked like he was considering smiling as he turned back to his laptop. "I'm going to check a few e-mails and touch base with Tank. Head to bed without me."

My legs obeyed without much conscious thought, though the dismissal stung. Walking slowly up the stairs, I studied Ranger from the walkway at the top as he hunched over his laptop. His body rigid and tense. Nothing like the relaxed man I'd circled my arms around this morning.

Was he more worried about this case than he let on?

Crawling into bed ten minutes later dressed in the same t-shift from the night before, I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. An hour passed. Still no Ranger. I pulled his pillow into my arms, inhaling and catching the faintest whiff of Bulgari.

Maybe he had been right when he said I didn't want to know what he wanted. Knowing made his absence all the harder. I suddenly understood why Val hated my childhood antics so much when we'd play house. Superheroes could make a real mess of things. Wonder Woman and Batman included.

The shrill squawk of a cell phone alarm roused me. Squinting at the bedside clock, I groaned when I saw it was six in the morning.

Ranger chuckled in the darkness as he silenced his phone. "Rise and shine, Babe. We've got a tour to go on."

"How can you be so chipper? What time did you finally come to bed anyway?" I'd fallen asleep somewhere after one-thirty, alone in the giant bed.

"Late. I got caught up in some e-mails. I hope I didn't keep you awake."

"You didn't," I lied. Rolling, I pressed myself against his side, but his arms didn't snake around me like normal.

"You want to shower first?" he asked, pulling away from me. He slipped from the bed, pulling a pair of silk boxers over his naked frame.

I blinked against suddenly stinging eyes, pushing myself onto my knees. "Ranger…"

He paused, turning back and kissing my forehead softly. "I'm still thinking, Babe. Let's get ready. We have a job to complete."

When the ship docked just before eight, Ranger and I were amongst the crowd on Deck 5 waiting to disembark. I had my bikini on under my shorts and t-shirt, my hair in a pony tail, and a pair of Adidas sneakers on my feet. If it weren't for the diamond studs in my earlobes and Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses perched atop my head, I might have felt pretty close to myself in this outfit. Next to me, Ranger drew plenty of admiring stares from the women around us. His pale blue Hugo Boss polo accentuated his chest and arm muscles. One strap of a brown leather Coach backpack hung from his shoulder, which contained our beach towels, sunscreen, cell phones, and his boardshorts.

Once ashore, my hair frizzing in the humidity almost instantly, we and thirteen others piled into a fifteen-person van. I had been expecting a boring, narrated tour of the island, heavy on drowsy colonial history. Instead, I found myself on a guided hike through Tom Moore's Jungle, surrounded by flora and fauna. We even got to explore some caves, wearing LED lit hard hats, and swim in an underground pool, stalactites hanging only feet above our heads in the near darkness. From there, our guide drove us to a pink sand beach. The winter water was too choppy for snorkeling, but I still got a bit of time to lay out in the sand. After lunch at a local restaurant serving seafood fresh from the ocean, we were led to a turquoise blue sinkhole, surrounded by rocky ledges a good fifteen to twenty feet above the water.

"Scared, Babe?" Ranger quipped as we waited our turn to cliff dive.

Making an unimpressed sound, I shrugged. "This is nothing compared to falling from a bridge."

As the couple in front of us jumped, screeching all the way to a loud splash, Ranger and I approached the edge. I bent forward to look at the blue water below. A little shiver went up my spine.

"Okay, maybe I spoke too soon."

Beside me, Ranger laughed. Then he held out his hand. "I can't make any promises about the future, but this is one leap I can make. We'll do this together, Steph."

With a grateful smile, I entwined my fingers with his. "On the count of three, then."

We wiggled our toes to the edge, my breathing accelerating in time with my heart beat.

"One," Ranger counted.

I drew in a deep breath. "Two."

Ranger jumped, pulling me with him. I didn't even have time to scream before we hit the water, plunging downward, Ranger's hand still firm around mine.

We broke the surface and I sucked in a lungful of air. "What the hell happened to three?"

The grin Ranger shot my direction was so boyish and mischievous that all thoughts of being angry fled my body.

"It's the anticipation that will get you, Babe. Don't give it the chance."

From the sink hole, our guide drove us to our final stop on the tour, a mom and pop ice cream shop featuring close to thirty different flavors. It was like I'd died and gone to heaven.

Happily full of ice cream, we climbed back into the van for the trip back to the ship.

"I must say, when you said an island tour, that was not what I imagined," I confessed to Ranger. "But I had an amazing time."

"Me too. Good memories." A melancholy tone crept into the words, as if he didn't expect there to be many more good memories made with me.

I tried to shake the thought from my head, uneasy over the murky fog blanketing our relationship. To distract myself, I dug my cell phone out of the backpack and turned it on. Might as well check my messages while I had signal on the island.

The welcome screen barely came up before the device started ringing, the word "Mom" flashing across the screen.

"What's up, Mom?" I asked, putting the phone to my ear.

"Stephanie, thank God, I'd been trying to call you for the last hour."

The clear panic in her voice twisted my heart inside my chest. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Ranger tensed beside me, leaning closer to the phone at my ear.

"Your grandmother never came home from Atlantic City. She's missing."

* * *

AN: Sorry for the cliffie, but it couldn't be all smooth sailing. Not when Steph is involved. Don't forget to drop me a review and then check out the Pinterest page for this fic, to see Steph's dress and jewelry from formal night. Promise to post the next chapter in a day or two.

pinterest.c o m (backslash) ccstraub (backslash) making-waves (backslash)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Silence hung heavily in the air after my mother's declaration that Grandma Mazur had disappeared. Acutely aware that there was zero privacy in the tightly packed van, I lowered my voice as I replied.

"What do you mean she never came home? Have you talked to the senior center? Did the bus break down or something?"

"The bus got back right on time this afternoon. But your grandmother was never on it! The senior center said she hadn't even been signed up for the trip!"

Rubbing my temple, a few puzzle pieces fell together in my brain. It did nothing to abate my anxiety, however. I groaned. "I think grandma fibbed about going to Atlantic City because she was going on a romantic getaway somewhere else with a man she met at Stiva's last week."

I could hear my mother crossing herself over the line. "What? Stephanie, tell me what you know this instant!"

"She got into a silver Buick with an older man, I think she said his name was Ernie. That's all I know."

"And you let her go with a perfect stranger?"

"I thought he was her ride to the senior center for the bus trip," I shot back. "Have you tried calling her? I'm sure she'll be back by the end of the week."

The lie sounded hollow even to my ears. Ernie didn't look like he had the strength to kill a housefly, never mind my grandmother. Plus, she could be pretty wily. Still, my guts were tying themselves in bows.

My mother huffed. "Of course I've tried calling her. Her cell goes straight to voicemail and she's not returning my messages. Your grandmother could be lying dead somewhere! You need to come home and help me look for her."

"I can't," I ground out. "I'm not in the country."

"Stephanie, you're choosing work over your missing grandmother? How could you?"

I glanced over at Ranger, silently pleading for help. His expression landed somewhere between concerned and amused.

He lifted the phone from my fingers. "Helen, Stephanie will call you back in an hour." Then he hung up.

My eyes doubled in size. "Omigod! She'll cut me off from pineapple-upside-down cake for the rest of my life."

Powering off my phone, Ranger handed it back to me. His eyes swept briefly across the other passengers. No one seemed overly interested in my conversation. "We'll call her back together when we get back to our room."

I'd never before dreaded returning to the lap of luxury.

Ranger dropped the backpack onto the floor as we entered our suite, then flipped open his laptop to disable the cameras. "Let's deal with your mother, then we can review the video."

"Ella knows how to bake pineapple-upside-down cake, right?"

The corners of Ranger's lips ticked upward as he picked up his cell. A second later, he connected with someone in Rangeman's control room. "Edna Mazur's missing. I need you to ping her cell phone and get me her location."

A few seconds of silence followed.

"You're sure? Nothing since Saturday morning in the Burg?" Ranger's brow furrowed. "Run her credit cards. Where have they been used since Saturday? And then look into owners of silver Buicks in and around the Burg, first name Ernie. E-mail me the results. Then I want you to brief Helen Plum on your findings, and if appropriate, bring in the police."

Whoever was on the other end of the line said something, and it made Ranger nearly smile. "You only get hazard pay if someone shoots at you, Tank. I'm sure you can survive a visit with Helen Plum." Then he hung up.

"You didn't have to do that," I told him softly. "I'm sure Rangeman resources are needed for more important things than finding my crazy grandma."

"Right now, Rangeman is focused on finding an international jewel thief. And that means I need you focused on the here and now, and not worrying about your mother or your grandmother. So, no, there aren't more important things for Tank to work on."

His fervent tone caused a lump to form in my throat. I swallowed against it painfully. "Thank you."

I stepped into him and, this time, Ranger's arms circled me. He held me close for a few minutes, before finally breaking the silence.

"You should call your mom and let her know to expect a visit from Tank. Assure her we'll do everything we can to find your grandmother. I'm going to review the video footage."

He broke contact, the negative space leaving me suddenly cold. After calling my mother back and talking her off her proverbial ledge, I settled onto the couch cushion next to Ranger.

"Did we nab a thief today?"

Ranger shook his head. "Nope. Just Misha again, and he doesn't touch the safe."

Slumping back into the cushions, I sighed loudly. "I don't know how to be a better carrot."

"Don't beat yourself up, Babe. It's only the third day. It's possible the thief hasn't noticed us yet, or he might just be waiting to make his move."

His reassurances didn't help lighten my mood. "So, we just continue with the plan? Diamonds and spectacle?"

He nodded.

"I guess I'll grab a shower then, get the sunscreen off before dinner." I held my breath, waiting to see if he would comment about joining me.

"Go ahead. I'll get one after you."

The sting of the rejection hurt worse than I anticipated. I'd pointed out that he had no claim to me, and now he was putting that into practice.

I had no jewel thief. No wet and wild sex. And now, potentially, no grandmother. The Titanic had nothing on this disaster.

I went to bed alone again that night, Ranger once more staying up to check e-mails. I woke to an empty bed as well, with a note on my pillow. Ranger had gone for a jog on the ship's running track, and I should feel free to order breakfast if I got up before he got back.

Blowing a piece of stray hair from my face, I started my day. Room service arrived five minutes before Ranger. I was enjoying breakfast on the balcony, so he nodded a greeting to me through the glass before he ran upstairs. He returned fifteen minutes later showered, shaved, and dressed.

Lifting the lid off his plate, he sank into the cushioned patio chair next to me.

"Did Tank e-mail you any updates about Grandma Mazur?"

"His searches came up with nothing. I'm sorry, Steph." He squeezed my hand gently. "She hasn't used any of her credit cards, and still no luck identifying an Ernie who drives a silver Buick. Tank and your mom searched her room. Along with a lot of clothes, her laptop was also gone. They found her passport, though, so she's still stateside."

"I'm sure she'll turn up." I said it more for more my own benefit. If I said it often enough, it might make it true.

Ranger pulled me into a brief sideways hug, planting a gentle kiss on top of my bedhead. "Any other job, I'd send you home and find a work around," he told me, his voice full of pity.

I pushed away from him, heat rising in my veins. And not the good kind. "You'd _send_ me home? Excuse me, but I never said I wanted to go home. I'm seeing this job through! Guess our little discussion Sunday didn't sink in. I'm not yours to _send_ anywhere."

A dark look crossed Ranger's face. "Technically, since Rangeman is paying you, I'm your boss and could dismiss you anytime I saw fit," he replied in a low, steady voice.

I stood, throwing the cloth napkin that had been resting on my lap onto the table. "Really? You're going to pull the boss card? Do you fuck Tank in the shower while on missions with him?"

I stalked into the suite, letting the door slam shut on his hasty, "Stephanie!"

My feet were on the third step when I heard the door slam a second time. Ranger caught me just as I entered the bedroom, grabbing my arm and spinning me back toward him.

A second later, our lips crushed together as he kissed me roughly. I got one good punch onto his chest before my anger morphed into pure lust as Ranger's tongue invaded my mouth. My panties were goners.

He pulled away a few minutes later, leaving both of us panting. "Tell me to stop," he commanded, black eyes pleading with mine.

Logically, I knew I should. But the ache between my legs interfered with any sort of rational thought. And the last few lonely nights hadn't done anything but make me crave his touch even more.

"I need you," I breathed instead.

A deep, feral groan shook his chest. Our mouths melded once more. Two minutes later, we were both naked, though I honestly couldn't say how or when my clothes had come off.

Ranger pushed me onto the bed, and he was inside me before my back fully settled onto the mattress. A hoarse cry tore from my lips. The rest was a blur. The sounds we made were barely human as he rocked into me fiercely, over and over, until the world came apart at the seams. His thrusts deepened, body covering mine heavily, hands seemingly everywhere at once. Lips feathered across every inch of my skin. All that remained were the two of us, the line between where I stopped and he began blurred beyond comprehension.

"Ranger!"

My fingers clawed at his back as my head fell back with the scream lifting toward the heavens. I clenched around him, stars dancing at the edges of my vision.

A breathy curse fell from his lips, followed by my name, murmured prayer-like over and over until he finally stilled.

We lay entwined for several minutes, until I could hear more than just my thundering heart and gasping breaths. Holy moly. Make-up sex with Morelli had always been better than average. Make-up sex with Ranger… well, I clearly needed to pick more fights with this man. Damn.

"Really glad I didn't tell you to stop."

Ranger closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against mine for a few seconds. Then he rolled, so that we lay side by side on our backs.

"This doesn't change anything, Steph. You're right. I have no right to put any claims on you. Until I can offer you more, I shouldn't take anything in return."

Ah, so that explained his weird behavior the last two days. He'd adopted a hands-off policy because he thought it was unfair to take with no reward. Once again, he thought he knew what was best for me. God, he was just as stubborn as Morelli when it came to that. What did I need to do, get 'I'm my own person' tattooed on my forehead?

I pursed my lips, debating my next words before finally speaking. "But there's no price for what we give each other. That's what you once told me, right?"

Ranger stayed silent.

"Right?" I prodded.

"There's a price," he said softly. "We both know it. It's just not measured in money."

"Good thing it's a price I'm willing to pay," I returned pointedly.

"You shouldn't have to."

I tensed. "Are you telling me what I should and shouldn't do?"

Ranger chuckled dryly. "Won't make that mistake again."

His levity cooled my temper. "Good. Because you're the one thing in my life I know I can always afford. When I reminded you that you have no claim to me, I didn't mean it as an ultimatum. All or nothing. I'm okay with the status quo. But I will stand up for myself when I need to and point out hypocrisy."

"Babe." He reached down and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

I sighed, then swallowed my pride. "And I'm sorry, for what I said on the balcony. I'm here on official Rangeman business, so you have every right to send me home if you wanted."

He shook his head. "You know I'd never do that unless you wanted to go. I've never treated you as just a regular Rangeman employee. When I said that…I was in mission commander mode, and I didn't think through my words. And you called me on it. I'm not used to being questioned, Babe." He looked over at me. "I'm sorry too."

Rolling to my side, I snuggled into him. He snaked an arm around me, tracing lazy lines up and down my back.

Several minutes passed before he spoke again. "As much as I'd like to lie here all day, we do have a jewel thief to catch."

"What's today's plan?"

"There's an art auction later this morning. Then we should browse the jewelry shops onboard."

I smacked my forehead. "Don't know why I didn't think of that. You think our perp could really be hiding in plain sight? I mean, if you work at a jewelry store, you probably have all the skills the thief has, right?"

"The cruise line's security combed through those employees with a fine-toothed comb and found nothing suspicious, but as this point, I think it's worth a shot. This afternoon I have a seat at a high-roller poker game. Then, if dinner goes as planned, we'll ensure the entire ship is talking about us tomorrow."

Lovely. More glitz and spectacle. And another trip to the casino. "Yay. More gambling." I made a whoop-dee-doo twirl with my finger in midair.

"Would you like your good luck kiss now?"

Something in Ranger's voice sent pleasant goosebumps skating down my arms. When I glanced up at his face, his eyes were black. He flipped me onto my back and began a line of wet kisses down my body. As his mouth fell between my legs, I knew no matter how much money I lost in the casino later, I'd already hit the jackpot.

* * *

The drone of hundreds of soft voices buzzed in the background as the wait staff cleared away our plates. This evening, we were seated at a table for eight in The Silk dining room. Two stiff, rose gold loops circled my throat with a massive, centered diamond flanked by matching teardrop stones. The stunning choker accented the high neckline of my cream, butterfly hemmed Halston Heritage dress. A matching bracelet adorned my wrist. They had garnered me several compliments from other guests, so I could only pray they had also attracted the attention of our target.

"Dessert?" our server asked, passing menus out.

I eagerly scanned tonight's offerings before my eyes fell on the Triple Chocolate cake, ordering it when I felt the waiter's eyes fall on me. To my left, Ranger requested just coffee. Then he gave the server a small nod, so imperceptible that I was sure no one else had noticed. A tingle of apprehension crept up my spine, suddenly unsure I wanted the entire ship talking about us tomorrow.

He had promised a dinner show, and we hadn't yet given one. Why hadn't I demanded more specifics? Too late now.

The rest of the table made small talk as we waited for our coffee and desserts. Ranger had his arm slung around the back of my chair, the fingers of his right hand absentmindedly stroking my shoulder. At least, I'm sure that's how it looked to our table mates. I'd no doubt his seemingly relaxed state was nothing more than show. He appeared to be gazing out the far set of windows at the dark ocean, but I knew he secretly watched the movements of the staff as they were reflected in the window. Not that I knew what he watched for. It wasn't as if the thief was likely to come parading through the dining room with a giant guilty sign.

I twiddled with the bracelet on my wrist. So far, the stellar sex this morning had been the highlight of my day. The art auction nearly bored me to tears, and I was so sick of jewelry that it had been hard to fake enthusiasm at the shops. And despite Ranger's good luck kisses _everywhere_ on my body, I'd managed to blow fifteen hundred dollars by the time we'd left the casino. I'd tried my hand at blackjack, mostly because Alexei was the dealer today, but the Russian seemed even less eager for small talk today than he had on Sunday. Though, to be fair, it was hard to hold a conversation and count to twenty-one simultaneously. A lesson I'd learned the hard way.

The server reappeared with a carafe of coffee, carefully filling our cups. He finished just as a tray of covered desserts appeared. As the man settled them in front of their owners with a practiced flair, Ranger leaned over, brushing his lips against my ear as he whispered, "Time for the show, Babe. Just roll with it."

Before I could even register confusion, he straightened just as my dessert plate appeared in front of me, the waiter whisking away the metal lid to reveal a generous slice of Triple Chocolate cake, garnished with large dollops of chocolate ganache and a striking red rose. My breath caught in my throat as I caught the sparkle of a stunning diamond ring nestled within the petals of the flower.

The woman next to me, Donna, glanced over at me. She gasped too. As if on cue, the entire dining room suddenly fell uncomfortably silent. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I felt dozens of eyes suddenly focus on my direction, like they knew they were about to witness a five-star performance.

Ranger pushed his chair back, then sank fluidly to one knee. He plucked the ring from the rose, holding it gently between his thumb and forefinger, the diamonds throwing rainbows across the white table cloth in the light of the chandeliers. Like a deer in the headlights, my eyes locked onto Ranger's face, effectively freezing me in place.

"Stephanie, I've loved you for so long. You bring out the better man in me." He spoke loudly enough for the nearest tables to hear. "Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

At the moment, I was certain the entire ship could my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. Everyone, including me, seemed to be holding a collective breath.

Fog swirled in my brain. Ranger had just proposed! I had told him, after all, to ask for what he wanted.

Wait, something seemed off about that. Hadn't he told me, just this morning, he still couldn't offer me more?

A modicum of rationality finally seeped through the frazzled static in my brain, and I recalled his whispered words. _Time for the show, Babe._ _Just roll with it._ His promise that the whole ship would be talking about us tomorrow. Ranger wasn't proposing, Carlos Prieto was. And it wasn't to Stephanie Plum, but to Stephanie Wheeler.

Something dangerously close to disappointment flashed through my veins, followed closely by searing anger. How could Ranger not give me a better warning about this?

"Babe?"

The word escaped Ranger's lips in a whisper, reminding me I was taking too long to reply. My skin itched under the number of eyes watching us. I knew I had to play along, ratcheting up our notoriety onboard. The disgustingly rich, newly engaged couple. If our diamond thief hadn't noticed us yet, he or she surely would hear about us now.

You could see the damn rock in that ring from Mars.

"Yes," I managed to hiss. My anger hidden under what, I'm sure, from the outside looked like complete shock and surprise. Don't have to fake what you're really feeling. Except this wasn't the good kind of shock and surprise.

As I allowed Ranger to slide the ring onto my left ring finger, a cheer went up around us. The other patrons clapped, our table offering their exalted congratulations. It all just rolled off my back, too emotionally numb for me to take any of it in. Ranger pulled me to my feet as he stood, and I embraced him automatically, some part of my brain capable of continuing the charade. He kissed me, and I felt him tense the moment he realized I wasn't kissing him back.

He pulled away just enough to meet my eyes. "Steph?"

"Later," I whispered. It was all I could grind out right now, without losing it completely. It wouldn't do to blow our covers in the middle of the dining room on just our fourth night aboard.

Ranger guided me back into my seat, where I plastered a fake smile on my face and tried to ignore the awkward weight of the ring. That proved impossible, however, and my eyes were drawn to the bauble. A massive round cut diamond thrust upward from the base of the ring, circled by at least thirty smaller round stones. Diamond chips were embedded into the band. Even in my state, I recognized how gorgeous it was, and the fact it was probably worth more than the last ten of my cars combined, plus a year's rent on my apartment.

Next to me, Donna dabbed her eyes. "You're one lucky woman," she told me as she ogled my new accessory. "That was so romantic." She began to prattle about her own engagement to Nate so many years ago.

I paid no mind to her words, just nodded at what seemed like the right times. Picking up my fork, I took a bite of my cake, finding my appetite gone. The fork shook slightly in my hand, an effect of the mild adrenaline comedown.

Who would have thought getting proposed to would elicit the same chemical response as getting shot at or thrown off a bridge?

As the dining room returned to normal, one set of eyes still bored into me relentlessly. Ranger. He watched me out of the corner of his eyes as he sipped his coffee, probably wondering what the heck was wrong with me.

"Would you like to go back to the suite?" Ranger asked lightly, giving me a concerned look after he took in my nearly untouched piece of cake. He knew me well enough to know I didn't turn my nose up at chocolate for no reason.

I nodded in reply and Ranger rose, offering me his hand, which I took automatically. "I believe all the excitement might have been a bit much for my fiancé." He made our excuses to the table as I tried not to grimace at his choice of words.

To him, this was still one big game.

He kept one hand on the small of my back, a gentle pressure guiding me out of the dining room and toward the elevators. People offered us congratulations at every step. I clung to my fake smile like a drowning rat to a piece of drift wood, all the way to our suite. Only after I heard the heavy _thunk_ of the door closing after us, did my façade crack. I wiped away a few angry tears with the back of my hand, but not fast enough to hide them from Ranger.

"Babe, what's going on?"

I looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "You really can't guess?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I could," he replied, his calm demeaner unflappable as usual. His eyes assessed me warily, as if I were a grenade with the pin pulled, and he didn't yet know if I was live or a dud.

I held up my left hand, ring facing him. "This is not something you just spring on me with no warning. I thought we were just supposed to be playing the part of a dating couple."

"A proposal gets us more visibility, makes us a bigger target. I told you this morning, after tonight the whole ship would be talking about us. You didn't ask for details. And I figured the surprise would be more real if I didn't tell you until right before."

"You didn't tell me at all!" I practically shouted. It took a concerted effort to lower my voice again. "Whispering 'just roll with it' right before is _not_ telling me about it. You surprised me, alright. Jesus, I didn't know what to think. You're suddenly on one knee holding a gorgeous ring," my voice began climbing toward hysterical again. I shook my head, a few tears streaking down my face. "For a second, I thought…" the last words died as my throat constricted.

Ranger's eyes grew wide as it finally clicked in his brain. "You thought I was proposing for real."

I nodded, even though it wasn't a question. "For the first few seconds, yes." My eyes turned toward the floor in shame.

"Babe, I made it clear this morning, I can't…" His voice trailed away. Rarely did Ranger come up lacking for words.

"I know you can't offer commitment. You don't do relationships," I spit back, anger burning through the shame as I lifted my eyes back to his face. "But what was I supposed to think? What would any woman think when she sees the man she loves get down on one knee? Just because you can compartmentalize your emotions doesn't mean I can." Fresh tears coursed down my face. "I can't keep playing this game of house. I was wrong, I can't afford the price anymore."

I put my hand on the door handle and turned to leave. Ranger's hand fell gently on my shoulder. "Steph, wait…"

I shook my head. "I need air," I told him, stepping out into the hallway.

He let me go, and the door clicked shut behind me. I hurried toward the elevators, expecting to hear his footfalls behind me any minute. But they never came. At the elevators, I looked back, finding the hallway empty. Ranger wasn't coming after me. And at that moment, I honestly didn't know if I wanted him to or not.

The elevator doors opened to deck 5 and I stepped out, crossing the corridor and exiting the sliding glass doors onto the narrow, open air track. The breezy night air felt cool against my flushed skin, even though it was well into the seventies. I walked aimlessly toward the prow, passing many a happy couple out for an evening stroll. I found the front of the ship empty, the strong wind that whipped my hair and dress also helped chase away most of the other cruisers. I gripped the rail, looking out at the triangular tip of the cruise ship and the blackness beyond.

Sobbing, the wind ripped away the tears before they could fall. My anger blew away with them. Ranger always made the line in the sand very clear. No. Lines in sand were easily brushed aside, this was more like a line in the concrete. I was most disappointed in myself for my reaction. Whenever Morelli brought up marriage, fear seized up my innards. I'd always said it was because I wasn't mature enough to attempt marriage again, and more than a little gun shy after the spectacular failure that was my first one. But now I wondered if that all was just a lie I told myself because, deep down, I knew Morelli wasn't the man I wanted to marry.

Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I looked down and saw black smudges across my skin. Great, my mascara was running. I was a complete wreck to anyone who cared to look which, thankfully, didn't seem to be anyone.

I continued around the prow until I was on the other side of the ship than I started on. Bright orange lifeboats hung above me, looking more like submarines than boats with their encapsulated design. 'Wet paint' signs were posted every couple of feet, and a few pieces of metal scaffolding nestled against the side of the ship, narrowing the walk-way to just a single person width.

With a sigh, I leaned against the railing, looking down at the dark waves breaking against the side of the hull forty feet below. Maybe I was making too big a deal out of this. I should probably go back to the room and apologize to Ranger. That would make two apologies in one day. Sheesh.

Suddenly, something heavy hit my shoulders from behind, catapulting me forward. My feet left the deck, and for a second it felt as though I were balanced like a seesaw atop the railing. Then my forward momentum tipped the scales, and I fell.

* * *

AN: Sorry for two cliff hangers in a row (not really, mwahahaha). The pinterest page has been updated with Steph's outfit and jewelry from this chapter, including the fake engagement ring. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought.

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I screamed as the air rushed past me, some unconscious part of my brain twisting my body so that I hit the water feet first, arms tucked against my sides. The sudden impact drove all the remaining air from my lungs as my body slipped under the dark waves. Frantically, I tried to kick, but momentum continued to press me deeper.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I stopped sinking and my body responded to my commands to swim. I kicked back up to the surface, gulping in sweet air until a wave crashed over my head and the sweet air turned into a lungful of sea water. Coughing and hacking, I tried to tread water, unable to find enough of my voice to call for help. To my horror, I found myself in the rough wake of the rapidly shrinking cruise ship.

Fuck!

Kicking off my sling-back heels, I sent a pair of Jimmy Choos to the ocean floor. Swimming, I tried to power through the waves, but the ship only continued to move farther away. Darkness descended around me and I realized I was in big trouble. I would soon find myself alone in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. Frantically, I turned away from the lights of the ship and raised my left hand to my forehead. Gazing toward the other horizons, I hoped to spy the distant lights of a shoreline I could swim toward. Only stars lit the night.

The warm water meant there was no risk of hypothermia. No. Instead, I'd likely have to endure hours of drifting until I died of exhaustion or dehydration. Unless of course, I didn't have a chance to become exhausted or dehydrated. What if something else found me all alone out here? I shuddered, suddenly seeing dark fins emerging from the waves as my eyes played tricks on me.

Calm down, Stephanie, and think!

I screamed as something solid brushed my back. Panicked, I tried to kick away.

"Babe, relax, I got you!"

My body responded to Ranger's voice automatically as he encircled me with one of his arms, pulling my back against his chest. He used the other arm to tread water as we floated on our backs.

"You jumped in after me? Are you insane?"

Ranger's lips brushed against the side of my temple and I could feel his slight smile in the darkness. "Babe, I've been jumping in after you for a long time. Why would I stop now?"

"Because now we're both going to die!"

This time Ranger chuckled. All alone in the middle of the freaking ocean, and he thinks it's funny?

"I raised the man overboard alarm before I jumped."

"Oh." I craned my neck, looking past Ranger toward the distant ship. It had slowed, performing a slow turn to double back, providing a great view of the entire port side lit up. If I weren't so worried about being Jaws' next snack, it might have even looked pretty, lights glowing against the black backdrop.

Something brushed one of my legs, and I screamed again, instinctively trying to climb higher up on Ranger's chest. We both bobbed below the water line for a second before he pushed us up again.

"Can you try not to drown us both in the five minutes it'll take to get a lifeboat in the water and out to us?"

I whimpered. "Something touched my leg."

"That was my foot. I'm trying to swim toward the ship, but you're not making it easy."

"Sorry! I thought it was a shark."

"Babe, do you know how small the odds are of us encountering a shark right now?"

Huffing, I refused to underestimate my ability to attract trouble. "I'm guessing about the same as me managing to fall off a cruise ship in the first place."

I felt Ranger shake his head and could imagine the exasperated look on his face. "You didn't fall by accident, Babe."

I recalled those few seconds before I hit the water. "I was leaning against the rail, watching the waves, and then something heavy hit my shoulders."

"The scaffolding behind you," Ranger informed me darkly. "I came around the corner just in time to see it roll across the deck and knock you over."

I tried not to think about what might have happened if Ranger hadn't arrived at just that second. A shiver rattled my body, and Ranger's arm tightened around me.

"Figures. It would be me standing there at the exact time the bolts holding the scaffolding would decide to break."

"Steph, not even you are that unlucky. The sea is calm tonight. Even if all the restraints somehow released simultaneously, there shouldn't have been enough sway to tip it into you." He left the implication unsaid.

My already rapid breaths picked up. Someone had intentionally pushed me overboard! Turning my head back toward the ship, I saw several spotlights crisscrossing the dark waves, searching for us. Ranger put two fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. A second later, a spot light suddenly illuminated us, and I blinked against the blinding brightness. The whirl of an engine drowned out the lapping of water, and soon an orange life boat pulled up next to us. The side opened. Two crew men donning life vests leaned down and offered me their hands as Ranger lifted me out of the water. I flopped inside, shaking and breathing like I'd just run a marathon. A few seconds later, Ranger hauled himself aboard as well.

We were handed blankets. I huddled in mine, my teeth chattering as the adrenaline left my bloodstream. Sadly, it was a sensation I'd become frighteningly used to. Ranger held me against his chest, his fingers stroking my wet hair while the crew steered us back to the main ship.

Members of the infirmary team waited to look us both over the moment we were hauled through a hatch into the belly of the ship.

"I'm fine," I insisted, though no one listened to me as I was forced into a waiting wheelchair. No one listened to Ranger, either, as he was also forced into one. That made me feel a little better.

Once in the medical bay, a curtain divided my bed from Ranger's. I was unceremoniously stripped of my wet dress and underwear before being forced into a scratchy, blue hospital gown. Medical professionals spent the next ten minutes prodding and poking me, shining lights in my eyes, taking my temperature, listening to my heart and lungs, and ensuring I hadn't broken anything.

"I'm fine," I repeated as a doctor in a white coat manipulated my legs, putting them through a range of motion test. Again.

The doctor huffed and crossed her arms. "Miraculously, it seems you are." She shook her head in disbelief. "Your lungs sound clear of any fluid, but if you develop even the slightest cough or chest tightness, you need to report back here immediately. Regardless, I want to see you tomorrow morning for a follow-up."

She pushed the curtain aside and exited. Ranger appeared a moment later dressed in fresh, dry clothes. He placed a pile of folded clothes at the foot of my bed, with a pair of Gucci flip flops on the top. "Get dressed. The ship's head of security needs to speak with us."

Ranger stepped away from the bed, until his back brushed the privacy curtain, but he did not leave.

I quickly pulled on the clothes before sliding into the sandals. Ranger's eyes never left my body, but they burned with a dark intensity that made me nervous, and not in the good way. He didn't say a word, just pushed the curtain back once I was dressed and motioned for me to step out ahead of him.

"Tomorrow, 10am," the doctor reminded me as Ranger slid his arm around my waist, guiding me toward the door. His entire body radiated tension.

Just beyond the double doors waited a short, stocky man with wild eyebrows almost as thick as his mustache. He wore a black polo shirt with "security" stitched prominently above the right chest pocket in bright yellow thread. The employee ID hanging from the lanyard around his neck read Laurent Aurand, Chief of Security.

He nodded at Ranger, then led us through several doorways marked "crew only" until we reached an unmarked black door. He swiped a key card across a sensor and a lock clicked loudly. The man ushered Ranger and I inside before securely closing the door behind us.

"My men have been briefed on who you are and your purpose on this ship," Aurand explained in a thick French accent. "We can speak openly here."

I guessed from the interior of the room that we were in the security nerve center of the ship. A huge wall of monitors spanned the left wall, with a high-tech console that easily fit the two men stationed there. To our right, a door opened to a tiny office cramped with several metal filing cabinets and a computer desk with dual monitors. Beyond that, a barred holding cell occupied the rest of the space.

"You've got a jail onboard?"

Aurand fixed me with an unamused stare. "On a ship, it's known as a brig. Where do you think we keep unruly passengers before they are disembarked at the next port?" He turned to Ranger. "Speaking of _unruly_ passengers, I know you told me you'd be making some waves to get attention, Manoso, but proposing and then having your partner jump overboard? If you weren't so damn buddy-buddy with Captain Davis, I'd arrest you both right now."

Ranger's arm disengaged from my waist, and I could practically smell the scorched testosterone in the air. Oh boy.

"I didn't jump, I was pushed!" I shouted, stepping quickly between Ranger and Aurand before any blood got shed. "Look at your security footage!" I gestured toward the bank of monitors.

Both of the crewman sitting there stared at me with wide eyes before looking to their leader for direction.

"Rayburn, review the footage," Aurand barked.

The younger, blonde crewman began to push buttons, his back blocking the monitor showing the footage he was pulling up. "Ummm, boss?" he mumbled a few minutes later. "You might want to see this."

Aurand moved first, Ranger and I just a step behind him. Crowding around the small monitor, I had an out-of-body experience as I watched myself. The footage started just as I walked out onto the track. Although grainy, my tears were still evident as I made my way around the front of the ship, Rayburn switching to various cameras to track my progress.

I saw myself lean heavily against the railing, facing away from the camera. Even though I knew what happened next, it still made me gasp when the scaffolding skidded across the deck and knocked me over the side. Twenty seconds later, Ranger sprinted into the bottom of the image. He scrambled along the wall for a good ten seconds, looking for the nearest man-overboard alarm, I realized. Then he shucked off both his shoes and climbed the rail, diving over the side without any hesitation at all.

I chanced a glance in his direction and found his blank face firmly in place, jaw set.

"Run it back," he growled. Rayburn hesitated a second, waiting on Aurand's nod before complying. "There!" Ranger jabbed the upper left corner of the screen. "Can you zoom in?"

This time, Rayburn didn't wait for Aurand. He spun a dial and the image grew, becoming blurry and pixelated, but it was clear what Ranger had seen. A hand poked through the port hole behind the scaffolding, fumbling with something on the side of the ship.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

"Releasing the suction restraints," Aurand explained darkly. "The scaffolding is on wheels, so it can be moved around the ship as needed. We use industrial suction cups to secure it without damaging the hull."

A second later, the hand shoved the scaffolding forward.

"What's inside that porthole?" Ranger demanded.

It took a couple minutes for Rayburn to pull up detailed schematics of the ship and then pinpoint where I'd been standing. "The shore excursion desk. But it's closed at that time of night."

"Do you have cameras that cover that area?"

Aurand nodded as Rayburn searched through the footage. The angle was from the other side of the Royal Esplanade, though, and the figure that could be seen slipping behind the closed shore excursion desk was indistinct. Rayburn zoomed in, but it was impossible to distinguish any identifying features from the pixelated image other than to make an educated guess that it was a man.

"Do you have software to clean up the image?" Ranger asked.

"Not onboard. We could send it to corporate, but there wouldn't be anyone there to look at it until morning."

"Rangeman can do it quicker. You'll send it to them."

"Need I remind you, Manoso, that you have no authority on this ship to order myself, or any other crewmember, to do anything."

"Do as you were instructed!"

Everyone jumped at the new voice, twirling as a group to find Captain Davis standing about five feet behind us.

"Captain, corporate can look at it in the morn—"

"Do I need to repeat myself, Aurand?"

The head of security jerked as if he'd been hit, his jaw tensing. "No, Sir. I'll get it sent to Manoso's company immediately."

"Good. I want an update the moment you get it back and can identify the man in the video."

Several eyes widened, including mine. How long had the captain been standing there unnoticed? If he was anything like Ranger, he could probably move as silently as a panther stalking prey.

"The crew will be informed that tonight's excitement was nothing more than a surprise man overboard drill. I've already spoken with those who know the truth." Captain Davis turned his attention to me. "Dr. Cowles informed me that, miraculously, you were unhurt, but I had to check for myself."

"I'm fine," I replied. Physically, at least. Mentally, well, my brain was playing snippets of Ghostbusters on repeat to keep from processing what had just happened.

Davis looked from me to Ranger and shook his head lightly. "I'd like to say I'm surprised you jumped in after her…"

"I've seen people do dumber things," Ranger returned dryly.

Davis grinned briefly, before becoming all business again. "Do you have any idea why a member of my crew would intentionally try to kill you?"

Although the question was directed at me, Ranger answered. "My guess is we were somehow made, and the jewel thief saw an opportunity to take Steph out."

"How would he have discovered who we were?" I blurted.

Ranger shrugged. "The sooner Rangeman gets that footage, the sooner we'll find out." He turned to Aurand. "I want to be here when you bring him in. I don't care what time it is."

Aurand opened his mouth, an argument clearly written across his features, but Captain Davis cleared his throat loudly first.

"I'll ensure you're alerted," Aurand spit through gritted teeth.

"You'd better," Ranger growled.

Davis put a restraining hand on Ranger's shoulder. "He will. Now, get Stephanie back to your room. She looks dead on her feet."

"Please, enough with the compliments," I deadpanned.

Ranger glanced over at me, and his face softened. "Come on, Babe." He draped his arm around my waist, drawing me into him.

Aurand silently escorted us back to the public areas, parting ways with us without so much as a word.

"Who spit in his coffee?" I mumbled once I was sure we were out of earshot.

Ranger smiled. "Aurand doesn't take failure well. He's holding himself personally responsible for failing to find the thief. I represent the salt in the wound."

A dark thought crossed my exhausted mind. "You don't think he's involved, do you? In the heist? I mean, you might be the salt in the wound, but he's acting like he wants us to fail."

"I'm sure he does want us to fail, but only because it will validate his own failure. Rangeman vetted Aurand and his security team thoroughly when Thames first approached me. They all appear clean." He looked down at me, softness returning to his features. "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," I lied.

He kissed the top of my still-wet head as we stepped into an empty elevator. "The Bermuda Triangle is famous for lost ships and planes. Never thought I'd have to worry about losing you in it."

"Is that a feeble attempt at a joke?"

"I wish it were." He pulled me against his chest, crushing me to him for the remainder of the elevator ride.

My feet were dragging by the time we reached our suite. Internally, my emotions were so hopelessly tangled I'd defaulted to just feeling nothing. "I need a hot shower. Then I'm going to bed."

I slogged up the steps and into the master bath, stripping off articles of clothing along the way. Then I stood under the shower head, hands against the cold tile, head hanging. My tears mingled with the hot water bouncing off me as I sobbed silently.

The air pressure dropped two seconds before Ranger spun me around and pulled me against his naked frame. I threw my arms around his neck, clinging to his bare body as my knees finally gave out. We sank to the smooth floor as my sobs, no longer so silent, echoed in the tiny space.

"You're safe," Ranger mumbled into my hair, his hand running up and down my spine repetitively. "You're safe."

I couldn't tell if he was repeating it for my benefit or his.

It felt like hours before all my frazzled emotions finally worked themselves out, even though the still-warm water said otherwise. Ranger reached out a hand to turn off the shower before gently lifting me to my feet. I swayed, but he wrapped a strong arm around me. Grabbing a towel from the bar just outside the shower, he carefully patted me dry before wrapping another around his waist. He led me into the bedroom and sat me down on the edge of the bed.

Glassy eyed, I watched him pull one of the silk chemises from a drawer. Childlike, I lifted my arms, and he slid it over my head. I sniffled lightly as he pulled the hem down to the mattress.

"You jumped after me." I muttered the words more to myself, replaying the video footage in my mind. He hadn't hesitated for even a second.

Still in just a towel, Ranger sat down next to me and tucked me into his side. "Why does that surprise you? You've seen me do it before."

"Yeah but jumping into a river is a lot different than an ocean. You can see land from the middle of the Delaware, swim to it easily. And it was daylight. How did you know you'd even find me in all that water in the dark? That I wasn't knocked unconscious and on the sea floor already? That the ship would find either one of us?"

"I didn't."

We let that sink in for a while.

I opened my mouth to tell him thank you, even though that seemed woefully inadequate. "I love you," came out instead.

"Babe, don't tell me that," he replied softly, voice tinged with sadness.

"Why not? It's true."

An uncharacteristic sigh filled the silence. "It makes it harder. Hearing those words, knowing what we both want, and being unable to offer it."

I pushed myself away from him, just by a few inches, so I could look up into his face. He frowned like a man defeated. Placing a hand against his stubbly cheek, I turned his head, so he had to meet my gaze.

"I'll wait. For however long it takes, until you can offer it."

His eyes widened ever so slightly. "What about Morelli?"

"We're over. I know you overheard the fight in your kitchen."

"Babe, you and Morelli are on and off more often than a light switch."

I snorted. "Funny. This time it's for good. I won't lie and say I don't still care for him, but our lives are on different trajectories. And I'm tired of him trying to redirect mine. I can't be what he wants, and it's not fair to either of us to continue pretending."

Ranger's eyes closed as he pulled me against him again. "It seems unfair for you to wait for something I may never offer."

"You knew you might not find me tonight. You jumped anyway. Well, now I'm the one jumping."

He kissed my temple softly, then reached down and plucked the fake engagement ring off my left hand. "I'm sorry for tonight. You don't have to wear this again if you don't want to." He placed it on the dresser with a heavy click.

"Won't everyone wonder why it's not on my hand?"

"We can tell people it needed to be resized." A small smile shown through his seriousness. "Although, it might be your lucky charm."

My eyebrows crinkled. "How so? My freak out over it caused me to go overboard."

"After I jumped in after you, in the middle of all that darkness, I kept seeing something. Little flashes of light that made no sense, but I swam toward them anyway." He nodded at the ring. "The diamond was reflecting what little light remained. It led me to you."

My mouth agape, I reached across Ranger, snatched the ring off the nightstand, and slipped it back onto my finger. "In that case, I think I'll wear it."

"You're sure?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry I overreacted. You're right about it drawing the attention we need if we're going to catch the thief."

Ranger's hand trailed down my left arm, capturing my fingers with his. "I was wrong for not filling you in on the whole plan from the start. That ends now. From here on out, we're complete equals in this. We make plans together."

I leaned my head against his shoulder and yawned.

"I think it's past your bedtime," he teased.

I groaned. "I'm exhausted, but I don't think I can sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the ship disappearing into the distance. I don't know how to forget."

"Me either," Ranger returned softly. "My heart stopped when I saw you go over the rail."

"We could help each other forget," I mused suggestively, my hand wandering down to the edge of the towel covering his hips. Brushing my fingertips across his skin, a low grumble shook his chest.

He caught my hand, pulling it away before he stood, breaking contact with me. For a second, I was sure he was going to tell me he had to go review footage and check e-mails. Then he let his towel slip to the floor, his future intentions clear.

He pulled me to my feet, and I stumbled into him. Slowly, he tugged the chemise back over my head, tossing it to the floor at our feet. The memories of my harrowing adventure began to fade as hormones flooded my brain.

His fingertips skated up my arms, barely brushing my skin. My nerve endings exploded, goosebumps blossoming in his wake. He rounded my shoulders, touch skimming along my skin as my breathing accelerated. My eyelids fluttered closed as I attempted to lose myself in the sensation, pushing out all thoughts of dark waves and fading lights.

"Babe."

My eyes popped open, surprised to hear the voice so near my ear. With one finger, he tilted my chin upward before capturing my lips gently. Then he eased me onto the mattress. When we joined, it was gentle. Skin to skin as much as possible. Each thrust exiled the memories further until there was only him, me, and the love we were making.

Sleep took me almost as soon as my final mewling cries faded, still wrapped in Ranger's protective body.

Darkness pervaded the room when I woke suddenly, Ranger shaking my shoulders.

"Babe, wake up! It's just a dream."

Finally coming to completely, I raised a trembling hand to my wet face. My chest heaved as if I'd just run a marathon. Snippets of my nightmare still floated through my head. Floating alone in open ocean, fighting to stay above the waves. Exhaustion pulling me downward into darkness. The last breath leaving my lungs, bubbling toward the retreating surface. Then the crushing weight of water pouring into my chest.

I choked back a sob, and Ranger gathered me against him. Brushing my matted hair back from my face, he kissed my clammy forehead.

I'd nearly slipped back into slumber when the bedside phone rang shrilly. We both bolted upright, knowing there was only one reason for our room phone to be ringing at this time of night.

"Report."

Despite my dreams and exhaustion, a smile still bloomed on my lips at Ranger's demanding tone. Aurand was going to shit a brick.

"I'll be right there. Do not question him until I arrive." Ranger dropped the phone back onto its cradle, then kissed the top of my head. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No way I'm letting you have all the fun. I'm coming too," I insisted, swinging my legs out of bed.

"It's an interrogation, Babe. Not a party."

"And you think I don't have some choice words for the person who tried to kill me?"

A flash of white was visible in the darkness as light reflected off Ranger's grin. "Leave your hair the way it is right now, and this guy will talk no problem."

"Oh, funny," I said humorlessly. "Stick with the security biz, Batman. Stand up isn't your thing." Still, my hands automatically tried to smooth down my frizzy hair with little effect.

The amusement faded from his tone. "You've got two minutes to get dressed or I'm leaving without you." He was already in the closet pulling clothes out of drawers.

I hurried into the bathroom and flipped the switch. Squinting against the onslaught of light, I quickly pulled a brush through my legitimately scary locks before tying the mess back with a ponytail at the nape of my neck. Ranger was dressed, tapping his foot in the doorway of the closet when I exited the bathroom.

Five minutes later, I was tailing Ranger through empty cruise ship corridors, in awe of his ability to retrace our steps from earlier and return us to the security nerve center. He rapped on the door, which opened a second later. Aurand stepped aside, motioning for us to enter. Captain Davis, Rayburn, and the other security crewman from earlier stood in the space beyond.

As Ranger and I approached the brig, the back of a dejected, slumped prisoner was all we could see.

"Open it," Ranger barked at Aurand.

The captive inside suddenly straightened his spine, head turning in the direction of the new voice.

I gasped.

"Alexei? You're the one who tried to kill me?"

* * *

AN: I loved reading all the reviews after the last chapter and the cliff hanger I left it on. Keep them coming. Things are going to be happening quickly, as there are only three chapters and an epilogue left in the story. And a few more cliffies (sorry!).


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After my exclamation, the eyes of every man in the room fell on me heavily, making me squirm.

"Babe, you know this man?"

"He's a dealer in the casino. The one running the roulette table on Sunday, and blackjack today…well, I guess it's yesterday now."

Ranger looked at Aurand again. "Why isn't that door open yet?"

Aurand looked to his captain, who nodded grimly. He pulled a key out of his pocket. Within the cell, Alexei paled. His eyes were wide, focused on Ranger. I suppose I could understand why. Ranger had pulled on a pair of mesh shorts and a white wife beater style tank top, packed to be worn under a dress shirt. It clung to his pectorals, muscular arms bared for all to see. With his fists clenched, back ramrod straight, Ranger oozed intimidation and lethal intent.

"I'll talk!" Alexei shouted. "Just, keep him out there, okay?"

Aurand paused, key in the lock, and looked back at Davis.

The captain cleared his throat. "Better start, sailor, or I tell Aurand to unlock the door."

"I'm sorry," Alexei gushed. "I panicked. She knew what I'd done and was going to tell." He nodded my direction. "When I saw her alone, leaning out over the railing…well, I just thought…if she went overboard she couldn't tell, and I'd keep my job. But then, when she fell…" his voice cracked as he sniffled. "After it sunk in that I'd killed her..." Full out sobs racked his body and the rest of his words became unintelligible.

Ranger and I exchanged glances. _This_ blubbering mess was our international jewel thief who'd managed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars of diamonds out from under the noses of some of the wealthiest people in the country?

"When did he begin working for the cruise line?" I asked Aurand.

Aurand gave Rayburn a nod, and the crewman scurried to a console and started typing. "Six months ago, Ma'am."

"He's not our jewel thief, then," Ranger breathed softly.

"No," Captain Davis agreed, coming to stand behind us. "But then, why did he try to kill Stephanie. What does he think you know?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea what he's talking about."

Alexei's sniffles became less pronounced.

"What did you think Miss Wheeler knew?" Captain Davis asked.

Turning his tear stained face toward us, Alexei poured out his sins. "While she was playing roulette, I was skimming her markers when she won. I'd swap them out for casino chips then slide them into my tip container when she wasn't looking. She didn't understand the game, or the odds, so I figured it was safe. I mean, a woman with as much money as her, she wouldn't miss a few hundred dollars. And then she hit it big, so I skimmed a couple hundred more, but she caught on. She kept asking me if what I'd given her was right."

His tortured eyes locked with mine. "But she didn't give me away, so I thought maybe she was throwing me a bone. But then she came back yesterday and sat right down at my table. Reminded me of her win the day before. It was like she was taunting me. Playing with me before she ruined everything. This job was the best thing that ever happened to me. My mother is sick. We need the money…"

"Enough," Captain Davis barked. "How many others?"

Alexei squirmed, his eyes downcast. "I didn't keep count, Sir."

Davis ran a hand across his bald head. "Aurand, discharge this man from our employment immediately and make the necessary preparations for his disembarkation in St. Maarten later today. Turn him over to the local authorities until corporate decides if they will pursue charges."

Head hanging, Alexei moaned like a wounded animal. "I'm sorry," he mumbled into his hands.

"Sorry you tried to kill a woman or sorry you got caught?" Ranger spit back, wrapping his fingers around the bars.

"For everything," the young man muttered.

I placed a hand on Ranger's taunt shoulder. "Let's go back to bed."

Nodding, Ranger stepped away from the brig. His set jaw still suggested he wanted to punch something. Or someone.

We said nothing on our way back to the suite.

"You okay?" I asked softly as the door closed behind us.

He shook his head. "We came here to catch a jewel thief, but you managed to unintentionally encounter and intimidate a casino thief, who then tried to kill you."

"What can I say, it's a gift." I shrugged, trying to lighten his mood.

No humor lit his somber eyes. "Do you understand what would have happened if I hadn't decided to come look for you?" He stepped closer to me, resting his forehead on mine. Warm arms curled around my waist, pulling us together. "You said you needed air. That could have meant the top decks too. The only reason I went to look for you on the promenade first is because the first elevator to open was going down instead of up."

"Maybe it just wasn't my time to go," I returned hoarsely, blinking against the tears. I thought of all the near misses in my life. My guardian angel must knock a few back at the end of each day. Don't envy that job.

"You've got more lives than a cat," he said dryly. "And the thing that terrifies me the most in the world is that one of these times, your uncanny luck is going to run out." He swallowed. "There was a moment last night when I thought it had. Thought I'd lost you forever, and the last interaction we'd had was a fight. My last words to you were that I couldn't offer you commitment, when they should have been, 'I love you.'"

"I know you do," I reassured him, cupping the side of his face and enjoying the way his stumble scratched against my palm. "You've shown it time and time again. Rescued me so often I've lost count."

"Those shouldn't be the only times I prove my love. Starting now, they won't be."

My next inhale caught in my throat. "How so?" I managed to croak.

Finally, a smile cracked his serious façade. "You told me all I needed to do was ask for what I want."

My breaths quickened. "I thought your need to protect me was stronger than your wants?"

"I'm beginning to realize my need to protect you is an exercise in futility. You should have been safe here. It's a closed ecosystem, no external threats. And I still nearly lost you. Trying to keep you safe is like fighting a force of nature."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes at him.

Caressing the side of my face, he elaborated. "I don't mean that as an insult, Babe. It's difficult for me to accept that the safety of the woman I love falls outside my control. My first instinct is to keep you safe, because it keeps me safe. It's not just you I fear losing, but myself. The monster I could become if someone took you from me…" He closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"You're not a monster. You never could be." Even as I said it, I knew the words were untrue. I'd seen the way he looked at Alexei, felt the caged energy in his muscles just asking for an outlet. Knew there were dark periods in his past he would never show me. "I wouldn't want you to become one, not because of me."

"There are times you are the only sunshine in my very dark world. If I can't guarantee your safety, then I at least want to guarantee that I'll have no regrets."

"You had a very long list of wants," I returned, inhales bordering on hyperventilation. Marriage was hairy enough, but he wanted to feel the kicks of a baby. I could barely manage a hamster right now.

His lips brushed mine. "Breathe," he ordered sternly, and my body complied, drawing in my first deep lungful of air in several minutes. "I'm not asking for everything, Babe. Let's start small. How about I be the only man you kiss for a while, and you be the woman I hold every night? And we'll take it from there."

"As your girlfriend?"

He offered me a lopsided smile. "That is generally the term society uses to describe that arrangement."

"Smartass." I smacked his shoulder, laughing.

My laugh suddenly ceased as he pressed our lips together, heat rushing through my body.

He pulled away too soon, leaving me wanting more. "You didn't give me an answer, Babe."

"I don't know, I might need some convincing," I teased. "After all, I apparently say yes much too readily. Seeing as I missed out on making you beg for me to come on the cruise with you…" My speech ended in a screech as Ranger suddenly picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder.

"Be careful what you wish for, Babe," he warned, jogging up the stairs with no effort at all. "You'll find I can be very persuasive when forced to beg."

The innuendo in his tone set my blood on fire.

He dumped me onto the bed, and I batted my eyelashes at him, adopting a coy expression. "I'm told I can be very stubborn, Mr. Manoso."

His eyes went black as he hummed, "I expect nothing less, Miss Plum."

Crud. Another pair of panties down for the count.

He stripped off his shirt, his excitement over our little game evident through his mesh shorts. Then he reached down and yanked my underwear and pants off in one swift pull. I saved him the trouble and disposed of my shirt and bra myself, while he did away with his shorts. Grabbing my ankles, he pushed against my legs, bending my knees. Crawling onto the bed, he knelt between my legs. My skin heated under his gaze, his focus clear. With one arm off to my side, propping him up, he hovered over me. The kiss that landed on my lips was surprisingly gentle. The fingers that landed between my legs, not so much.

Gasping, my back arched off the mattress as his digits filled me. His own groan followed a second later, as he realized just how much I was enjoying this game too. This rare, playful Ranger was turning me on more than I expected. He stroked me more aggressively, drawing little moans from my lips.

"Say you'll be mine." His hoarse voice rasped the words.

It took a few seconds for me to remember how to move my tongue to make speech to continue the game. Where would the fun be if I gave in right away? "I'm still not…"

He curled his fingers in a magical way, and my words fell apart. Wasting no time, he brought me to the edge of ecstasy and then abruptly stopped.

"Still unsure?"

I groaned. "Aren't you supposed to be the one begging?" Each word was punctuated by a breath. "This feels more like coercion."

"My mistake."

With a devious grin, he kissed down my belly until his tongue replaced his fingers. I tried to cling to my sanity and not lose this game too quickly, because I knew the longer I held out, the more spectacular the final fireworks would be.

Each time he asked, I answered in the negative. Each time, he drove me closer and closer to my breaking point. His lips moved back up my body, trailing wet kisses in their wake. Our skin, slick with a thin sheen of sweat, pressed together everywhere except where I wanted it the most. His tip rested against my entrance, hands pressing down on my hips to keep me from bucking into him.

"Just say yes, Babe, and I'll end the torture for both of us." He rocked gently forward, then back, teasing.

Raking my fingernails gently down his back, I countered. "I have yet to hear you beg."

In response, he swirled his tongue around my nipple in a way that nearly made me orgasm on the spot. I fisted the sheets and bit my tongue to avoid screaming an affirmative into the night.

"So stubborn," he murmured into the valley between my breasts, but when he lifted his face, he smiled.

My mind traveled back to Valentine's Day, as he'd driven my body insane in a similar way with me handcuffed to the headboard. His request for me to call him Carlos, just for that night. Because we had been pretending. And now it was at the verge of becoming reality.

We'd been playing a game, but suddenly the life altering repercussions hit me. One little 'yes' might be the ripple that would change the heading of my entire life. No, that wasn't right. It would correct my course to point in the direction I was always supposed to go.

"Ask me again, Carlos."

His face transformed when I used his name, all the edges softening. "I'm offering everything to you, Steph. All I ask in return is that you promise to be mine, and only mine."

"I'm yours," I whispered, hand against the side of his face.

He sank into me. My body so tightly wound, it took only a few strokes before I shattered. He took his time, building me back up, so that by the time I fell apart around him again, he fell with me.

* * *

I woke in the best possible manner, with Ranger laying feather soft kisses on my lips.

"Rise and shine, sirena," he muttered in my ear, the 'r' sound in the Spanish word trilling on his tongue.

A light hum escaped my lips as I stretched, eyes still closed. "Whatever that means, it sounds better than pollito."

Ranger chuckled. "Mermaid seemed appropriate, considering."

Finally cracking an eye open, I examined his amused expression. "You're in a better mood."

"Might have something to do with the incredible sex and a few extra hours of sleep with my arms around my girlfriend," he replied, nuzzling my neck.

A grin split my face, hearing him refer to me as his girlfriend. "I could use a few more hours."

"I let you sleep as long as I could, Babe. You have just enough time for breakfast before your 10am checkup."

I groaned, having forgotten all about my appointment with the infirmary doctor. "Is breakfast here yet?"

He shook his head. "I thought we could try something other than room service this morning."

Intrigued, I dressed and followed Ranger through the ship, expecting to be led to a fancy dining room. Instead, we stepped through a set of sliding glass doors into a buffet worthy of Vegas.

"You've been holding out on me," I exclaimed, glancing at all the different food stations, my eyes falling on the small mountain of bacon at one. Then I spotted the pastry table and a little moan filled the air.

"Thought you might need some comfort food after last night," Ranger said, trying to hold back a smile.

I threw my arms around his neck, kissed his cheek, then hurried into buffet heaven with a, "You're the best!"

Ten minutes later, I settled into a chair at a window-side table with a gorgeous view of the crystal blue ocean beyond. My plate was piled high with bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage links, hash browns, and crowned with not one but two Boston cream donuts. Across from me, Ranger had half a bagel topped with lox and a cup of freshly cubed fruit.

A soon as I bit into the first donut, I sighed contentedly. The sugar seemed to rush directly into my bloodstream, perking me up and making yesterday's events more distant. All was well. Honestly, hadn't anyone ever thought of just passing out really yummy donuts to achieve world peace?

Leaving the buffet half an hour later, we passed a large wall-mounted screen displaying the day's activities, docking and departure times for St. Maarten, and short snippets of the daily on-board news program. The screen cut to a video, and I froze.

"Romance was alive and well in The Silk dining room last night," read the anchor in a British accent as a recording of Ranger's proposal played behind her. "Congratulations to the lovely couple."

I rounded on Ranger. "Did you know?"

He shook his head, blank face in place. "No. The dining room manager must have arranged it without my knowledge." He turned a wary eye in my direction, gauging my reaction.

Absentmindedly, I fiddled with the heavy engagement ring. None of the disappointment or anger from last night returned. Those donuts must still be working their magic. "Well, it can only increase our visibility. So that's good, right?"

Ranger wrapped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me into him. "Right, Babe."

He kissed the top of my head affectionately, then steered me toward the elevators. After getting the all clear from the ship's doctor, we wandered to the top decks to watch the ship sail into Philipsburg.

"What does today's adventure entail?" I asked Ranger as we held hands, reclined on side-by-side loungers. Beyond the ship's rail, the lush greenery of St. Maarten slipped past.

"I booked an excursion that includes swimming with dolphins. After last night, I would understand if you'd like to cancel. We could walk around the shopping district instead."

I sat up a little straighter in my chair. "Swimming with dolphins? That sounds amazing." He squeezed my hand gently, offering me a genuine smile. "Doesn't really sound like you, though," I added. "I'm kind of surprised you picked it." Gazing out at the mountainous terrain of the island, I grinned. "You strike me more of a nature hike kind of guy."

"They do offer a strenuous, day long mountain hike. I'm sure we could switch excursions before we dock."

"How about no."

Ranger grinned. "You sure, Babe?"

"Absolutely."

His thumb rubbed across the side of my hand, and it sent little tingles of energy down my arm.

"I picked out all the shore excursions before our sailing was moved up. Luckily, the cruise line was able to pull some strings and keep my itinerary unaltered. I chose things I thought you would enjoy. One of those little ways I was able to show you I loved you, before I realized I could offer you more."

"If taking me swimming with dolphins was a little thing, I'm a little scared to see what you do now that we're officially together."

That earned me another grin, but no response.

* * *

Our afternoon spent with the dolphins followed by quality beach time was as magical as I imagined it would be. Then my phone rang as we finished our time on the island in the shopping district, and I saw Morelli's name flash across the screen. An iron fist immediately socked me in the gut.

"Tank would have called if anything new developed regarding your grandmother," Ranger said softly, seemingly reading my troubled thoughts.

It didn't do anything to quell my anxiety as I answered. I didn't even have time to utter a greeting before Morelli was shouting.

"You're marrying him? What the fuck, Stephanie? You'd get cold sweats and hives if I so much as mentioned marriage. It's been less than a god damned week since you declared we're over, and now you're engaged to Ranger? How long has this been going on?"

A few seconds passed before I found my voice to reply. "Joe, what are you talking about? I'm not engaged to Ranger." Even as I said it, my eyes traveled down to the ring on my finger. It wasn't real. And besides, there was no way Joe could know about the proposal.

"You don't need to lie to me, Steph. I've seen the video."

My heart stopped for several beats. "What do you mean you've seen the video?" Beside me, Ranger froze too.

"It's all over social media. Did you honestly think I wouldn't hear about it? Jesus. Ranger down on one fucking knee. And you said yes! No wonder it's so cold. Hell froze over."

Ranger had his cell phone out and his blank face on. A second later, he turned it so I could see my Facebook page. A cell phone recording of Ranger's proposal, taped off one of the ship's monitors, was plastered all over my wall. Nearly everyone in Trenton had tagged me in it. Ranger didn't have a personal Facebook page, but enough people had recognized him to type his name and tag Rangeman's business page.

Oh fuck.

The next second, Ranger had his phone to his ear, growling instructions to whomever was on the other end. "Find the source and take it down." A pause. "Yes, I know what I'm asking, but this could blow our cover. I need it wiped. Attach a virus to it if you need to. I don't care, just get it done."

It was a few more seconds before I remembered I was still on the phone with Morelli. "Joe, Ranger and I are undercover. The proposal was part of it. We didn't know it was being recorded, and that video could ruin everything."

Morelli must have detected the panic in my voice, because his tone softened. "You're not engaged to him?"

"No." I figured now was not the time to confess that Ranger and I were, however, dating.

"I'll see what I can do on my end to get it offline. It's nearly impossible to erase something completely once it's gone viral, though."

"Thanks," I breathed.

"No problem, Cupcake. When you get home, we'll need to talk."

"Yeah, we will," I replied, an ache building in my chest. That was one conversation I didn't want to have.

Ending the call, I glanced over at Ranger. "All that's left to go wrong is hitting an iceberg, I think."

He didn't smile. "Hopefully, we can still salvage this. Silvio is going to try and make it disappear and trace the source. The video wasn't posted by the cruise line, I just checked all their social media accounts, so that means another passenger did it."

The blood drained from my face. "Does that mean someone on board knows who we are?"

"Possibly. Could be someone just thought it was romantic and posted it to their page, and people we know saw it that way. It's bad either way." He had his cell phone to his ear again. "Tank, I need you to contact Rodger Thames and get a list of every passenger onboard our ship. Run the names and see if anyone else from Trenton is aboard, or anyone who knows Stephanie. Past classmates, former skips, even the smallest link. I need to know how badly we're compromised."

After Ranger hung up, we caught a taxi back to the docks. Ranger was in full crisis containment mode, leading us directly back to our suite so he could get online and help with damage control. I felt fairly useless. I couldn't exactly post a status telling people to stop sharing the video because it was part of an undercover sting. But I also couldn't claim a case of mistaken identity either. The entire situation was one colossal mess.

As the ship left port, Ranger had me order in room service for dinner. The crewman who delivered it wished us congratulations on our engagement. So did Misha, who apologized for interrupting when he came in to turn down our bed for the night and bring us tomorrow's Cruise Compass. In between calls and e-mails, Ranger had reviewed the video feeds from our time ashore. Nothing suspicious captured.

I was beginning to understand why Morelli carried Rolaids in his pants pocket.

Just before eight, Ranger's laptop dinged with a new e-mail alert. Our cell phones had lost signal when the ship set sail for Puerto Rico. His eyes widened as he read the message, then he turned the screen so I could read the message from Tank.

 _Ship records indicate an Ernie Barnett aboard, with his wife, Stella, both of Trenton. Room 11205. There is a silver Buick registered in his wife's name, which is why it didn't show up when I did the search for Ernies with silver Buicks. Also, death records show his wife passed away two weeks ago. Viewing and funeral held at Stivas. Unless the ship is boarding zombies, you and Bombshell aren't the only folks onboard under an alias. Silvio traced the video back to a YouTube account of one Edna Mazur, aka Sxygranny43. Took it down, but still trying to track down all the shares._

"Omigod." My eyebrows collided with my hairline. "My grandmother's crazy, but she'd never impersonate a dead woman."

Ranger's lips thinned.

"Yeah, you're right. She would." I sighed. "You can't say I didn't warn you. Disaster trails me like flies on a rhino's backside."

Ranger stood, tapping the button on his laptop to turn on the suite's cameras. "Let's pay a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Barnett."

* * *

AN: Well, now you know where Grandma Mazur has been. A few of you figured it out already, I think, based on your reviews. All that remains is to catch that jewel thief... Anyone have any guesses yet?


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

We rode the elevators up three decks, then followed a long corridor of doors until we found an interior room with 11205 on the plaque next to the door. Ranger rapped loudly. A second later, the door creaked open.

"Well ain't this a pip," Grandma Mazur exclaimed. "My granddaughter and soon to be grandson-in-law!"

Beside me, Ranger's lips twitched. I wondered if he was second guessing dating someone who swam in this gene pool.

"Can we come in?" I asked, glancing up and down the hallway.

Grandma moved aside, and we entered the tiny room. Our suite's bedroom, closet, and bathroom were bigger than the entire space combined. A king-sized bed occupied most of it, with a flat screen TV tuned to the ship's on-board station hanging on the wall across from the bed. A small closet and desk took up the rest of the floor space. The sound of someone showering could be heard from behind the closed bathroom door.

"Grandma, what are you doing here?" I demanded as soon as the door closed behind us. "Mom's been worried sick. She thinks you're lying dead somewhere."

She blew a raspberry. "Your mother worries too much. I mailed her a note, explaining where I was and when I'd be back." Something crossed her face, and she pulled a large black purse off the desk. Rummaging around inside, she pulled out a stamped and addressed envelope. "Whoops. Guess I was so excited I forgot to mail it. Oh well."

"Oh well? You're impersonating a dead woman and out of the country without your passport."

Waving off my concern, she pulled a passport out of the room safe. "Stella and I bear a striking resemblance."

She smiled, holding the passport photo next to her face. Aside from the wrinkles, Grandma and the late Stella Barnett looked nothing alike. Internally, I groaned. She was never going to get through customs on the way home. The ticket agent who allowed her to board must have been blind.

"That's why Ernie asked me to come along," Grandma continued. "He and Stella booked this cruise last year. Wanted to cross it off their bucket list, except Stella kicked the bucket first. The tickets were already paid for, and non-transferable. Ernie and I sort of hit it off at Stella's viewing, and he thought I could pass for her. He invited me to come along."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ranger fighting off a smile. Or a stroke. It was hard to tell which caused the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"What are the odds?" Grandma continued, oblivious to any wrong doing on her part. "Us all on the same cruise? Have to say, wish I could have seen your mother's face when she heard you were marrying Ranger. Bet she was snookered by noon. But I couldn't resist that scoop. I've been telling everyone I see how my granddaughter is engaged to the hottest man on the ship. Our steward, Emilio. Everyone at the buffet. That little gay photographer and that good looking Asian bartender at the pool bar…"

Any amusement drained from Ranger's features.

I jumped in before Ranger found a way to permanently silence her. "Grandma, Ranger and I aren't really engaged. We're here undercover on a job for Rangeman. You need to stop telling people I'm your granddaughter."

The flames of excitement ignited behind Grandma's hazy eyes. "Undercover? You mean like spies? Gee whiz. You don't need to worry about me. I know how to keep a secret." She motioned zippering her lips. "So, who are you after? It's the cruise director, isn't it? Always thought she was shady looking…"

"We can't tell you that Grandma. Just, please, if you see me while out and about, just pretend we don't know each other, okay?"

"Okie dokie. But we should probably have a secret code signal, though, in case things are going south and you need my assistance. I've seen all those spy movies, and things always go south at the end. Then someone unexpected steps in and saves the day. I can be your backup."

By this point, Ranger appeared to be in physical pain. "Babe," he ground out through gritted teeth.

"Ranger and I have this covered," I assured Grandma. She looked slightly crestfallen. "Just, remember, Ranger and I aren't here."

At that moment, Ernie stepped out of the bathroom. Buck naked. If I'd thought time hadn't been kind to his face, it was nothing compared to the ravages on the rest of his body. As much as I wanted to turn away, my eyes wouldn't budge from the horror before them.

"Huh. Didn't know we had company," Ernie said, totally unfazed by his dangling bits. He walked across the room and bent over to pull open a dresser drawer.

I gagged. Ranger grabbed my bicep, dragging me from the room.

"Thanks," I muttered once we were safely back in the hallway. "It was like a horrific car accident. I just couldn't tear my eyes away."

Ranger just shook his head.

Back in our room, I sighed. "So how bad have I messed things up?"

"You aren't responsible for any of this, Babe."

"It is my grandmother, so I kind of feel like I am."

With lightning reflexes, Ranger grabbed my hand and then hauled me against him. "Listen to me. This is on me. I should have prescreened the passenger list, and I didn't. We're both well known in Trenton, and I failed to consider people who might know us would be onboard. I'm also the one who decided to propose in a very public place. It's my fault there was a video for your grandmother to post in the first place."

"Still, of the thousands of passengers aboard, it was _my_ grandmother who might have blown our cover. Thousands of miles from where she ought to be. It's like I'm cursed. Have you honestly ever met someone more unlucky than me?"

"If that's the case, you're the luckiest unlucky person I've ever met." Brushing a piece of hair away from my face, his hand trailed down my left arm. He meshed our fingers together, then lifted my arm so the diamond on the engagement ring glittered in the light. His pointed look said it all.

"Can the investigation recover from this?"

He shrugged. "Depends on how much damage was done. We have to move forward assuming the jewel thief is still oblivious. If someone on board says something about your grandmother or seeing the video online, claim ignorance. Suggest she's got dementia. Stick with your cover. That's all we can do."

I nodded in agreement. "Should we let Tank know we located my grandmother so he can tell my mother?"

"I'll e-mail him," Ranger replied. "At least that's one less thing to worry about."

"You don't suppose he can assure my mother we're not engaged while he's at it?" I wasn't looking forward to the messages that were surely already on my phone. The entire Burg had probably called my mother today.

"I'm going to have to give him hazard pay for that, Babe."

I offered him a salacious grin. "I think you'll find I'll make it well worth your while."

His eyes darkened slightly. "I should hire you. You're an excellent negotiator." He propped open his laptop, typed out a speedy e-mail, then snapped the lid shut again before turning his full attention on me. "Pay up, Babe."

* * *

Thursday and Friday passed in a whirlwind. We spent Thursday ziplining in Puerto Rico, followed by the second formal evening aboard. Draped in diamonds to keep up appearances, my gut told me it was all for nothing. Friday we docked in Labadee, Haiti, the cruise line's private beach paradise. I finally got to do nothing except tan on a lounger surrounded by sun, sand, and sea. Getting my sunscreen reapplied every few hours by Ranger was just an extra added bonus. That man truly had magic hands.

Friday evening, we checked the cameras as the ship set sail for home. Nothing suspicious had been captured. It left us just two days to complete what now felt like a doomed mission.

"We aren't going to catch the thief, are we?" I asked Ranger as we finished reviewing the footage.

"We've still got Saturday and Sunday," he replied.

"Okay, but what are the odds, really? If the thief hasn't shown any interest by now?"

Ranger sighed, and it confirmed my suspicions. "My only guess, at this point, is that we were wrong about the thief switching out the stones in the room. There's one last opportunity for him or her, and that will be the night before we dock in Cape Liberty. Our luggage gets packed and put out in the hall, then taken down to the hold to get sorted and prepared for disembarkation. That's a good ten to twelve hours it will be out of our sight."

Perhaps all hope was not lost. "So that's the plan? Pack all the jewelry in a suitcase, then check it as soon as we get it back? How are we going to tell if it's been tampered with? And even if it has been, how do we find out who did it?"

"I always knew this was a possibility," Ranger replied, unflappable as usual. "I have a pinhole camera that I can hide in the lining of the suitcase that should capture anyone who opens the case. It'll record to a SIM card, and we can view it on my laptop as soon as we get our luggage back."

Even after his reassuring explanation, I still had an itch between my shoulder blades. "Cutting it a little too close for comfort."

"Tell me about it."

"So what do we do the next two days?"

"All the ports of call are behind us. If we somehow failed to garner the thief's attention by now, it's a lost cause. From here on out, we just relax and have fun." He elbowed me, a hint of a smile playing around his lips. "I believe you asked to get your ass kicked at bumper cars."

"Oh, bring it on, Batman. While you were learning to drive in Miami, I learned on the mean streets of Jersey. You've got nothing on me."

Ranger blinked once, silent for a beat. Then he tipped his head back and laughed long and hard, radiating pure joy. Snagging my arm, he dragged me over until I was sitting on his lap.

"This is why I love you."

Then he kissed me with enough passion to wipe my mind of all coherent thought, bumper cars included.

Saturday morning, Ranger let me indulge in the buffet breakfast again before demonstrating his destructive capabilities on the bumper car rink. He had an irritating knack for being able to strike my car at just the right spot on the rear quarter panel to send me into a 360 spin. To rub salt in my wound, he then took me up a deck to soundly kick my ass in several rounds of Halo in the gaming room.

"You could at least let me regen for more than two seconds before you snipe me," I grumbled as my virtual character's brains got blown out yet again.

The grin he shot me with was so full of carefree, teenage boy that it made it impossible for me to stay upset. Having played all our cards, with nothing left to do but wait, he'd truly put aside the job for a little while. I wondered if this was Ranger next to me at all, or a glimpse at the man he used to be. The real Carlos.

After lunch, he led me to the end of the line of people waiting to climb the ship's rock wall.

"Race ya," he offered, mood still light.

"Going for the trifecta, I see." Even if I hadn't just pigged out at the lunch buffet, I stood no chance of beating Ranger at a physical activity of any sort.

As expected, he reached the top and rang the buzzer before I'd made it half-way. Then he hung there, doing pull ups off the top hand holds until I finally heaved myself into range of my buzzer.

"Show off," I hissed across the space dividing us. Looking down, there were gobs of women, and a few men, watching his show of physical aptitude appreciatively.

He laughed, then pushed off the wall with his feet and rappelled back down.

"What do you want to do next?" he asked as I stepped out of the climbing harness. "There's a surfing simulator."

I rolled my shoulders back, cringing at the pops. "I think I'll pass. I've met my physical exertion quota for the week. What about that giant viewing ball thing that goes above the ship? That would be nice and relaxing."

And non-competitive.

A knowing smile graced his face as he said, "Sure, Babe."

The line for the North Star Viewer, however, was over an hour long. And my patience was significantly shorter than that.

"We currently have a short wait time for RipCord, our sky diving simulator," the line attendant informed us cheerfully, pointing toward the aft of the ship.

"Think I'll pass on that one too," I informed Ranger, already regretting the three pieces of pie I'd scarfed down for dessert. I really didn't need to see them make a reappearance.

He shrugged. "No simulator can compare to actually jumping out of a real plane, anyway."

"I'm just going to trust you on that." I had no plans to ever throw myself out of a perfectly good airplane. Or any desire to _simulate_ throwing myself from a perfectly good airplane.

"Well, where to next?" he asked, amusement shining behind his eyes.

I pondered it for a few seconds. "The shops. I need to get some souvenirs for Mary Alice, Angie, and Lisa. And something for Connie and Lula to soothe the disappointment when they find out I'm not really marrying you."

"You ever want that to change, you just say the word."

I glanced over at him, intent on elbowing him for his joke, and caught his eyes. There wasn't an ounce of levity on his face. "Omigod. You're serious," I squeaked as I forgot how to inhale.

The corners of his lips twitched upward as he took my hand. "Breathe, Steph. I'm not down on one knee. It'll take a very clear signal from you before I do that again."

"Any by clear signal…"

He chuckled lightly. "You're going to have to tell me you're ready to get married. You know what I want, Steph." He fixed me with a soft look, and my heart melted. "Those things haven't changed now that I'm offering them to you. But this relationship will move only at the pace you're comfortable with."

I've been known to leap before I've looked on more than a few occasions. I did that once before with marriage in my eagerness to finally do something in my life that pleased my mother. In love with the idea of being in love. It was a mistake I wouldn't make again. Even though Ranger and I wanted the same things, I wasn't going to rush it.

"Thank you," I told him, my head on his shoulder. "For understanding how screwed up I am."

"Takes one to know one." He planted a gentle kiss on my temple. "Besides, a beautiful woman once told me she'd wait for me. I think I owe her the same in return."

Pivoting, I pushed myself onto my tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his mouth. It rapidly devolved into a passionate lip lock.

Behind us, someone cleared their throat loudly. My face flushed as Ranger and I hurriedly separated. I couldn't look the intruding employee in the eye as Ranger took my hand and led me toward the elevators.

An hour later, I was finally done perusing the stores, shopping bags in hand and deep thoughts on my mind.

"You've been quiet, Babe," Ranger noted, his hand resting protectively on the small of my back as we walked the esplanade. "Everything okay?"

I nodded, lowering my voice. "Seeing all the shop employees just has me thinking. Wondering who it might be, that's all. We might never know."

"When you give up hope that the mission can still succeed, that's when it has failed."

I sighed. "I'm trying to be optimistic. Really, I am. But I just keep thinking, even if our perp is waiting to make the switch when our luggage is in the hold, how did he or she get a good enough look at my jewelry to get the right cuts and sizes of cubic zirconia? I mean, even a jeweler can't be so good to just be able to eyeball it, right?"

He answered with a shrug.

The idea was still nagging at me as we passed the photo gallery, where dozens of thin rods popped out of the floor to create a garden of waist high, glowing, touch screen digital picture frames.

I smacked my forehead. "I almost forgot. I want to buy that picture of us from when we embarked."

Ranger groaned. "How much will it take for me to convince you otherwise?"

"Some things in this world are priceless," I shot back with a grin as I slid my SeaPass card through the reader on the side of the nearest screen. Instantly, photos of us taken by the ship's photographers filled the screen. Wow. I didn't realize how many there had been.

The embarkation photo was the cheesiest thing I've ever seen in my life. Too cheesy to pass up. I'd have it framed and hung in the comm center to boost Rangeman morale if I weren't terrified of waking up alone in a third world country as retribution.

The photos that followed, from the first formal night, took my breath away. Stunning black and white imagery captured the opulence of that evening perfectly. The way Ranger looked at me in some of those pictures, a man completely enthralled by the woman next to him, made my knees go weak.

Ranger was right. I needed to have faith we'd complete the mission we'd set out on. Looking at these photos, there was no way we could have failed to gain the attention of the jewel thief. I mean, the image was so crystal clear, I could count the individual diamonds in the necklace I'd worn that night.

Omigod. _Anyone_ could count the diamonds in the necklace, because it was frozen forever in a photograph.

With a clink, my shopping bags hit the floor as they slipped from my suddenly limp wrists.

"Steph?" Ranger's hands grabbed my waist before my knees could buckle.

"The photographs," I whispered, clutching his shoulder and hauling myself upright before we could make a scene.

"What about them?"

"The jewelry was photographed. If the thief has access to these pictures, there was never any need to break into our room or our safe. They could study an image all cruise, get the right size stones made, and then swap them out for the real diamonds while the luggage is in the hold the night before docking back in Jersey."

Ranger's eyes widened as he took in my theory, then his blank face slid into place. "You might be on to something, Babe." He kissed me behind the ear. "This is why you're an asset to Rangeman. You see things I don't," he murmured so no one could overhear.

I flushed lightly under his praise, distracting myself by pressing the 'Order all prints' button on the screen. This 'asset' just cost Ranger a few hundred more dollars, but it would give us time to study the photographs closer in the privacy of our suite.

The employee working the photography desk gasped lightly, causing both Ranger and I to look up at her. Evidently, my order had just come across her computer screen. She looked us over, flustered, and took in the expensive clothing and the rock on my finger.

"We'll deliver your order to your room as soon as it is processed, Ms. Wheeler. Should only be a few hours."

I smiled back at her. "Is there any way we could get a list of the photographers who took these wonderful photos? Assistants too? We'd like to leave tips for them before we dock."

That flustered her further. "I'm not..." She took a second to recollect her wits. "I'm sure I could arrange that. I can look up the information on the computer and include a list with your prints."

"Would you? Thank you so much. Please don't forget to put your name on that list, too, for going above and beyond." I offered her a broad smile, my words implying there would be a large reward in it for her as well.

Her eyes doubled in size. "Of course, Ma'am. Have a pleasant rest of your cruise."

With his arm around my waist, Ranger steered me away. "You want a full-time job with Rangeman?" he whispered into my ear.

"Ha ha."

"I'm serious." He stopped, dragging me into a secluded alcove, and fixed me with a serious stare. "That bordered on brilliant."

I shrugged off his compliment. "Like you wouldn't have gotten the list on your own?"

"Not in such a devious way. I would have directed someone to hack in or demanded Aurand get it to me. Your way had a lot more finesse, with faster results."

"Speaking of Aurand, shouldn't we let him in on our hunch?"

It was a purposeful misdirection from Ranger's job offer, and we both knew it. Thankfully, Ranger seemed willing to let it go.

"Yes. Come on."

We snuck through the off-limit corridors silently, Ranger leading the way and frequently pushing us into doorways and around corners to avoid crew. Somehow, we managed to reach the security nerve center without incident.

Rayburn answered the door, his eyebrows racing into his hairline when he saw us.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to speak with Aurand," Ranger returned.

"He's not here. He had to see to a situation in the Solarium."

From down the hall, someone whistled cheerfully. And it was coming closer.

"Get in here," Rayburn hissed, stepping aside so Ranger and I could enter. "You can leave your message for Aurand with me. I'll make sure he gets it when he gets back."

Ranger nodded. "We think one or more of the ship's photography crew might be involved in the diamond thefts. We suspect the diamonds will be swapped out while our luggage is in the hold tomorrow night, so Aurand will need to assign eyes on the suspected employees."

Rayburn looked at us both like we'd grown second heads. "The photographers?"

"Yes. We requested a list of photographers and assistants with the pictures we ordered. Once we get them later today, I will have Rangeman run their names and see if anything odd stands out. That might help Aurand narrow down who he should keep a close eye on."

"Of course. We'll look forward to hearing what your men find." Behind Rayburn, a radio crackled as someone asked for security at one of the lounges. "I need to get that," Rayburn added. "You can find your way back to the public areas?"

"Yes. Please have Aurand call me when he gets back."

Rayburn brushed off the request, preoccupied with the radio. "Yes, yes, will do." And he waved us toward the door.

Back in our room, Ranger reviewed the video footage, not that either one of us expected to find anything. At this point, it was simply habit.

I was contemplating inviting Ranger to join me for a shower before dinner, when I suddenly realized none of my shopping bags had made it back to the room with me.

"Oh no!" I smacked my head with the heel of my palm. "I left all the souvenirs I bought at the photo gallery. When I dropped the bags, I never picked them back up."

Ranger's lips twitched, but he managed to hold back the smile. "Give me a second, and we can go get them."

"Nah, I'll go myself. You might as well stay in case our photos get delivered. That way you can e-mail the list of photographers to Rangeman. Be right back."

I gave him a peck on the lips before slipping back out the door. My shopping bags weren't on the floor when I got back to the photo gallery, but the same friendly employee from earlier was still on duty.

"Have you seen any shopping bags? I think I forgot them earlier."

She gave me an apologetic smile. "We found them, but policy demands we send them to lost-and-found. They'll be at the Guest Services desk one deck down. Oh, and your photo order is out for delivery to your room," she added. "One of our photography assistants was so excited over your order she insisted on delivering them herself."

"Wow! Thanks." Talk about service.

I headed around the corner to the elevators, riding down a floor. Finding Guest Services near the opposite end of the ship, I retrieved my lost purchases and headed back to the suite. As soon as I got within a few feet of the door, my spidey sense tickled the hairs on the back of my neck. The door to our room stood ajar. Something was amiss.

Listening from the hall, I heard nothing from within. Quietly, I cracked the door wide enough for me to slide into the suite. I spotted the blood immediately.

* * *

AN: This is the last cliff hanger, I swear! I'm enjoying seeing everyone's guesses as to who the jewel thief is. Some of you are sooooo close, but no one's nailed it yet. Promise you'll find out in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A few feet from the door, a small pool of blood puddled on the hardwood. A crowbar lay in it. Just beyond, a thick cardboard envelope spilled several photographs across the floor like autumn leaves. Crimson droplets led my eyes across the open space and to the balcony. My heart stopped. Two people, their backs to me, were attempting to hoist Ranger's limp body up and over the balcony railing.

For the second time that day, my shopping bags hit the floor. I scooped up the crowbar, fingers tightening around the sticky handle. Looking down, I saw them stained red with congealing blood. Ranger's blood.

Something surged through my body, and a second later, I was running. I burst through the balcony door, swinging the crowbar at the person closest to me. I barely registered the surprised look on her face before the metal collided with the side of her head, and she crumpled like a sack of bricks. Ranger's feet, which she'd been holding, fell heavily to the decking.

The man at Ranger's head grunted under the suddenly unexpected weight. Turning toward me, I stumbled back when I glimpsed his face.

"Rayburn?"

With a sickening thud, he let Ranger's shoulders and head collide with the floor. My eyes swept over Ranger, trying to ascertain if he was breathing. Please, please, let him be okay.

By the time I remembered to turn my attention back to Rayburn, he'd already crossed most of the distance between us. I tried to swing the crowbar again, but Rayburn caught my right forearm before my blow landed. Digging his fingers into the sensitive space between my arm bones, I screamed and dropped my makeshift weapon.

Bringing up my left hand, I managed a weak punch on the side of Rayburn's head. He grabbed my wrist, forcing me to step back until I felt the cold metal balcony railing against my spine. There was no way I could overpower Rayburn with sheer strength alone.

I could feel him attempting to lift me, get my feet off the deck so he could pitch me over the side. And once I was out of the way, Ranger would be next. Out of desperation, I leaned toward Rayburn and spit into his face. He stumbled back a step, his grip on my arms loosening. It was just enough time to allow me to straighten up, find my feet, and drive my right knee into his groin with as much power as I could muster.

Rayburn made a sound like air leaving a balloon, his hands falling away from me as he doubled over, gasping for air. I got a running start and leaped onto his back, tackling him just like I would a skip. The force drove him to the deck. I heard the sickening snap of his nose breaking, a gush of blood following. Still, Rayburn struggled, attempting to buck me off. For a few seconds, we wrestled, before I finally managed to pin his hands behind his back. Only then did I realize I didn't have any cuffs.

Crap.

The crowbar lay across the balcony, out of my reach. And honestly, the thought of bludgeoning a guy I currently had subdued made my stomach churn. I wore no belt. But I did have strappy Gucci sandals on my feet.

I pinned Rayburn's arms to the decking with my knees, him yelping under me, as I worked to release the ankle straps on my sandals. Then I secured his wrists, twisting the leather straps extra tight before securing the buckle. Dragging him to edge of the balcony, I used the second sandal to strap his bindings to the railing. Hopefully that should hold him long enough for me to figure out what the hell I was going to do next.

If Rayburn was involved, Aurand might be as well. Clearly Rangeman missed something when they vetted them.

Chest heaving after the exertion and hands shaking with the adrenaline let down, I crawled over to Ranger. Relief flooded through me when I saw his chest rising and falling. Blood still trickled from the gash on the back of his head. I pulled off my shirt and pressed it to his wound, causing him to groan.

"Ranger? Come on, wake up!" I shook his shoulders lightly.

He groaned again before finally cracking open his eyes. One of his hands reached for his head, finding mine and the shirt pressed against his skull. His breathing hitched, eyes widening. He bolted upright.

"Easy!" I scrambled to move with him, trying to prevent him from getting to his feet. "You got knocked out. But everything is under control now."

He scanned the deck, taking in the crowbar, prostrate woman with a pool of blood around her head, and Rayburn tethered to the railing. Then he looked me over, eyebrows rising when he realized I only donned a bra from the waist up. The tiniest smile curled his lips as his gaze moved to my bare feet, then flicked to Rayburn.

"I didn't have any cuffs," I explained.

"Babe." Grimacing, he forced my hand from his head. He pulled away the shirt, glancing at the blood on it, before gently probing the gash to ascertain the extent of his injuries.

"You're going to need stitches."

He said nothing, just moved to his knees and gripped the railing for support.

"Take it easy. You probably have a concussion."

He ignored that too.

"Ranger!" I growled, trying in vain to push him back down. He batted my hands away like houseflies.

Finding his footing, he crossed to Rayburn, who watched us with a sneer.

"Is Aurand involved?" Ranger demanded, grabbing a fistful of Rayburn's bloody shirt.

The man stayed silent, stubbornness radiating from eyes set in black and blue sockets. His gaze shifted to the woman I'd knocked out for just a split second. Faster than a blink, Ranger slugged him. Rayburn's head snapped back, and he spit blood. Still, he stayed silent.

Ranger made a fist again.

"Wait."

He hesitated at my words. "Steph, we need to know how deep this goes."

I recalled the sensation of the railing against my back as Rayburn tried to force me over the side. How he would have dumped Ranger over if I hadn't returned to the room at just the right time. "I'm not saying don't hit him again. God knows he deserves it. But there might be a better way to make him talk."

Crossing to the woman, I crouched next to her. Only now did I stop to really examine her face, realizing I recognized her. She was the photography assistant who always worked with Roberto. My fingers slipped along her neck in search of a pulse. Rayburn's eyes burned into me across the deck. She meant something to him.

"What's her name?" I asked him.

"Brigitte."

For a few terrifying seconds, I thought I might have killed her. In my anger, I'd swung the crowbar as hard as I could. Then I felt a week beat below my fingertips.

"She's alive," I announced, locking eyes with Rayburn. "But she's lost a lot of blood. Her pulse is weak. And we're not calling for medical attention until you answer all of Ranger's questions."

Rayburn's adam's apple bobbed as he gulped, but the stubbornness retreated from his eyes. His shoulders slumped in resignation. "No, Aurand isn't involved."

"Who else?" Ranger demanded.

"Onboard, just me and Brigitte. She uses her job in the photography department to scan through all the guest images, picking out targets. We have a contact on St. Maarten. I know him only as Mr. Lux. We send him the photographs, and he arranges the pick up of the replacement stones in port. I pull aside the bags, under the guide of a security check, and ensure Brigitte has unfettered access to them in the hold. After she makes the swap, Mr. Lux fences the diamonds for us."

"Rangeman vetted you. Nothing in your background suggests living beyond your means. So where's the money?"

"We're paid in bit coin, so it's not traceable. We use an offshore account under an alias and stolen social security number when we cash in the bit coins." His eyes traveled back to the woman.

"Ranger, we need to call someone soon," I said softly. Brigitte's pulse was slowing.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Call for medical and tell them to get Aurand up here. Davis too."

Rayburn blanched as the captain was included. I rushed inside and pressed the preset medical button on the phone, connecting to the ship's infirmary a second later. The woman on the other end went speechless when I told her we had two serious head injuries and required both the head of security and the captain. Then I ran upstairs to pull on a new shirt before anyone else got to see me topless.

A few minutes later, a medical crew sprinted into our suite. All their faces betrayed astonishment at the macabre sight on the balcony, but their training kept them in motion. Ranger waved them toward Brigitte first. They were loading her onto a stretcher when Aurand raced into the room, Captain Davis on his heels.

Aurand's face went through three shades of red, before venturing into purple territory. "Rayburn? How could you?" he sputtered.

Rayburn hung his head in shame. "We never meant for anyone to get hurt. That's why we only stole from the wealthy. It's not like they couldn't afford it. And then they," he nodded at me and Ranger, "somehow made the connection with a photographer being involved. Because I knew about the sting, we never intended to target them. They should have walked off the ship just as stumped as when they boarded. But when they asked for a list of photography staff, I knew they'd start digging. Knew they'd discover Brigitte is employed under a fake last name. And that would lead them to her past. She had been an apprentice to a master metalsmith and jeweler, but she got caught stealing and dismissed."

A large bruise crept across Rayburn's jaw from Ranger's punch, matching the two bruises around both his eyes. His nose looked crooked from his face colliding with the deck after I tackled him.

"Aurand, I want you to personally oversee these two to the infirmary. Handcuff them to their beds, then toss them in the brig once Dr. Cowles says they can be released," ordered Captain Davis.

The head of security nodded, pulling a pair of flexicuffs from his back pocket. He paused, however, when he finally noticed how I'd bound Rayburn to the railing. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a Swiss army knife, whisking out a blade.

"Are you crazy? Those are six-hundred-dollar sandals, you can't just cut the straps!" I quickly tiptoed around all the blood and undid my handy work, rescuing the shoes.

"She's a piece of work," Aurand remarked to Ranger as he marched Rayburn out. "I don't know if you are crazy or genius for working with her."

Wisely, Ranger kept his mouth shut. His wound was currently being examined by a member of the medical team. She wrapped a bandage around his head several times to hold a thick slab of gauze in place.

"I need to take you down to the infirmary to get stitches and a tetanus shot."

Ranger looked like he was ready to argue, but Captain Davis stepped in. "I will deliver him there personally, but I need to speak with him and Ms. Wheeler first."

The medic nodded, accepting her dismissal without hesitation. She gathered up her medical bag and left the room.

"How'd they manage to get the jump on you?" Davis waited until the medic left to speak again, mild disbelief in his tone.

Ranger glowered. "We were expecting photographs to be delivered, so I opened the door when I saw a woman in the hallway with an envelope. She asked me to look at them and ensure they met our expectations, and I stupidly turned away from the doorway to do just that. Rayburn must have been waiting in the hallway with the crowbar. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up out here." He looked like he'd sucked on a lemon. "Because she was a woman, I let my guard down. Almost proved to be a fatal mistake, one I should know better than to make."

The captain turned his attention to me. "And you?"

"I'd gone out to retrieve some bags from lost and found. I came back and knew something was wrong when the door wasn't closed all the way. When I walked in, I saw blood all over the floor and the crowbar. Then I saw two people on the balcony trying to lift Ranger high enough to throw him overboard. So I grabbed the crowbar and stopped them."

Davis' eyes were wide. "You took on both of them and came away the winner? And they call me Death Wish Davis!"

Ranger chuckled briefly. "You should see what's she done to some of her skips in Trenton."

"Haha, very funny."

"Wasn't joking, Babe." He closed the space between us and pulled me close. "Now I owe you one."

I rolled my eyes. Like we could ever be even in that score. Ranger held me at arm's length, taking inventory of my body. His fingertips skimmed over the bruises forming on both my arms from where Rayburn had held me. If I cared to look, there might also be bruises on my back from the railing.

"I'm fine."

"Rayburn give these to you?" I nodded and Ranger's jaw tensed. "I really wish you'd have let me punch him again."

"So you're the one who rearranged his face," Davis remarked.

"Just his jaw. He had the broken nose and two shiners when I came to." Ranger grinned at me, then at his friend. "You didn't think I brought her along only because she's gorgeous, did you?"

My eyes fell to the balcony decking as a blush barreled across my skin.

"Let's get you patched up," Davis said to Ranger. "I'll have a cleaning crew come in and take care of this mess."

* * *

Ranger woke me with a kiss Monday morning. I groaned and rolled over, the movement igniting tingles of soreness through my nether regions. Ranger had made our last night on the ship memorable, starting with that damned hot tub on the balcony and continuing through the night. Beyond our room, darkness prevailed.

"It can't be time to get up yet. It's still dark," I mumbled, closing my eyes again.

"We have about an hour before we dock. I want to show you something."

Curiosity got the better of me and I cracked one eyelid. "What is it?"

"You need to get out of bed to find out."

I fumbled my way into the bathroom to wash my face and tame my hair. Then I pulled on the jeans, sweater, and my beloved Louboutin booties I'd left out the night before. God, I was going to miss those shoes when I had to give them back. For the first time in nine days, I wore no jewelry. All of it, including the fake engagement ring, had been carefully packed into our luggage the night before. My finger felt naked without the ring's weight, to which I'd grown accustomed.

The clock on the nightstand showed 6:15am when I returned to the bedroom. Ranger, already dressed, waited for me downstairs. He sported a new buzz cut to compliment the several inches of stitches along the back of his head. With his hand on the small of my back, he guided me from the room and to the elevators. He pushed the button for the top deck. A few minutes later, we were walking in freezing air along an empty, dark deck. No one else crazy enough to be topside in this weather.

We'd stopped beside the huge glass viewing ball.

"I knew you wanted to see the view from here, but we never got the chance."

"But it's not open today."

Ranger grinned. "Funny thing about helping a cruise line catch a set of international jewel thieves. They will bend over backwards when you call in a favor."

At his words, an employee stepped out of the enclosed control room that raised and lowered the sphere. "Everything is ready for you. Enjoy the view." The man opened a gate to a stairwell and indicated we should go up.

The steps led to a narrow walkway, leading to a sliding door in the rear of the glass ball. Stepping inside, I found a small round table laden with coffee and an assortment of breakfast foods, including donuts. Ranger slid the door shut behind us and gave the employee below an all clear sign.

A few seconds later, the sphere gently rose into the air, suspended from the end of a long arm. It provided a stunning view of the entire ship, glittering with lights in the pre-dawn darkness. Then the arm swung us smoothly outward, dark ocean beneath our feet. In the distance, lights twinkled along the coastline.

"Wow."

Ranger wrapped his arms around me from behind and I leaned into him. I could feel the smile on his lips as he pressed them against the skin behind my ear. "Those are the lights of Staten Island. We'll watch our arrival into Cape Liberty from here."

"Then it's back to the real world." I sighed. "I'm going to miss the five-star cuisine every night. Somehow peanut butter and olive sandwiches just won't measure up."

"You know there's an easy solution to that, right?"

"Find a good hiding spot and refuse to disembark?"

"Move in with me, and Ella will cook for us nearly every night."

I sucked in a ragged breath. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." He kissed the side of my neck. "Your current living arrangement is less than ideal."

I huffed. "Jeez, my apartment isn't that bad."

"Your apartment would be fine if you weren't a magnet for crazies. But no matter how many locks I put on your door, they always find a way inside. Or they just shoot rockets through your windows. And now we have my crazies to worry about too. There's a good reason I choose to continue living on seven."

"The ridiculously short commute?"

Ranger didn't laugh at my joke. "I'm not saying you can't protect yourself…"

"Yes, you are," I interjected.

He sighed as his arms tightened around me. "This isn't easy for me, balancing my desire to be with you with my need to protect you. I'm trying to find a compromise that works for you and me."

I'd seen Ranger in overprotective mode. No compromise was ever involved, so I knew this was a struggle for him. He was more an act now, apologize later kind of guy when it came to my safety.

"I'm assuming my new living arrangements would come with two permanent shadows anytime I stepped foot off premises?"

The disdain of the idea rang clear in my tone. I hated it when Ranger assigned me body guards. The constant tracking of my vehicles and person were bad enough, and I only tolerated those because it had saved my life on a few occasions.

"Well, that depends, too."

"On what?"

Ranger paused for a second. "You never gave me an answer about working for Rangeman."

"Your solution is give me a job so I never have to leave Fort Overprotective?" I huffed.

"I want to give you the job because you're capable and would provide a point of view I don't currently have."

I tilted my head back to shoot him a skeptical stare.

"And it would save me from assigning you shadows, since if you left on Rangeman business, you'd likely be working with one of my guys anyway."

"What about if it wasn't on Rangeman business? What about if I just wanted to go to the mall? Or visit my mom?" Though once she learned about me dating Ranger, I wasn't sure how often I would be invited. "I'll need my space sometimes."

Ranger turned me so we were chest to chest. "How do you feel about getting your concealed carry permit?"

I made a face.

"There's no cookie jar in my apartment, so you might as well get used to keeping the gun somewhere else. On your body would be my top choice. And Rangeman policy dictates that all full-time employees not only carry while on shift but get at least an hour of range time in each week."

"Speaking of employee rules, surely there's a policy about office romance?"

His serious façade cracked slightly. "If there is, I know the boss. Pretty sure he will look the other way."

His attempt at humor missed the mark. "That's not fair to the other guys," I returned. "I wouldn't be equal to them."

"You know, you could just marry me so what's mine becomes yours. You'd own half the company. Inequality problem solved."

I made a face as if I'd just sucked on something sour. "That's not how I want to solve the inequality problem. And I thought you weren't going to propose until I told you I was ready?"

"That wasn't a proposal. It was just something to consider, if you aren't comfortable dating me and working for Rangeman."

I sighed. "We've been dating for less than a week. Considering marriage is insane."

"Babe, we _labeled_ our relationship less than a week ago. But we're not two people just getting to know each other. Girlfriend is a woefully inadequate term for what you are to me."

"Wife is more apt?" I returned. Shockingly, the direction of this conversation had yet to bring on hyperventilation or hives. Still, I could sense both waiting in the wings, just in case this got too serious too fast.

He laid a soft kiss on my lips, arms hooked around my waist so that I was pressed against his hips. "Steph, you and I both know firsthand how easily marriages can be made. And broken. I don't need a wife, I need a partner."

"A partner," I repeated hesitantly, trying the word on for size.

He nodded. "An equal with me."

My eyes dropped to the floor. "Ranger, I'll never be—"

His lips silenced me with a fierce kiss. "Partners do not need to be equal in skills," he panted into my ear. "They simply need to balance each other out. Equals in all else."

"Including whether or not they are assigned shadows?"

"You're really going to fight me on that one, aren't you?"

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Okay," he offered. "Let's compromise. You move in with me on seven so I know you're sleeping somewhere safe. When I'm in Trenton, no shadows, but you carry a gun. When I need to go out of town on business and you can't come with me, you get a tail for a few days. My enemies are dangerous, but they're not stupid. They're far less likely to try something when I'm just minutes away."

"You didn't say anything about the job," I pointed out.

He shrugged. "That's not a deal breaker. It's yours to accept or decline."

I offered him a small smile. "Thank you. Considering the opinions of others in my life, that means a lot to me." I paused, mulling over the idea of living with Ranger. I hated to admit it, but he was right about the lax safety features of my apartment. Still, I'd tried cohabitating with Morelli. It never ended well. "Would you be offended if I sublet my apartment while we tested the living together thing?"

"Babe, it's your apartment. Do with it what you want."

I blinked a few times, and he laughed.

"I get the sense you keep waiting for an ultimatum." His lips brushed mine lightly. "Aside from matters of your safety, I'm not going to make demands, Steph. You're too important to me to risk losing you over something inconsequential."

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder as we watched ribbons of blue, purple, and orange paint the eastern horizon. Soon, the towering skyscrapers of New York City filled our vision. I thought back over the last nine days, still a little dazed by how wildly different my life now seemed. Though, part of me was glad to be heading home. Back to life as Stephanie Plum.

"I can't say I'm sad to be parting ways with Stephanie Wheeler. Pretending to be rich is exhausting. And far riskier than I'd imagined. I'm totally okay if I never wear jewelry ever again."

Ranger chuckled. "That's too bad."

Face pale, I looked up at him in horror. "Tell me you didn't buy me one of the pieces in our safe?"

"I did, but you never got to see it, as it didn't really fit with the agenda." He reached into his pocket. "Remember when I told you there was only one thing I'd picked out. I guessed you might be sick of diamonds by the end of this." He opened his fist, revealing a beautiful silver ring topped with two pearls, one chocolate and one white colored. The band didn't form a complete circle, instead a pearl capped each end of the spiral, facing opposite directions. They reminded me of two ships passing in the night. So close yet bound to never touch.

Like Ranger and I nine days ago.

"It's beautiful."

"It's yours, if you want it."

A ring! He was giving me a ring. "It's not…you don't intend it to be…"

"Am I down on one knee?"

I breathed a small sigh of relief. "Right, you won't do that again without a clear sign from me." I took the ring from his palm, my fingers trembling slightly, and slid it onto my right ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"It looks good on you, Babe," he murmured into my hair.

My heart performed a painful somersault as I examined the new bauble. No matter what happened, I already knew I'd never take it off.

* * *

AN: A bunch of you expressed disbelief that anyone could get the jump on Ranger, so I hope I explained that adequately. The man is human, after all. And a few of you guessed that Rayburn was involved in the jewel heist, so kudos to you. Roberto the photographer was originally going to be involved, and then I decided he was just too obvious and pinned it on his assistant instead and used Roberto as a red herring.

All that's left is a sickeningly sweet epilogue that will hopefully tie up any loose ends. The pinterest page has been updated with a photo of the pearl ring.

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	13. Epilogue

AN: I hope this ties up any remaining loose ends. Warning: sugary sweet Babe HEA ahead...

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Epilogue

1 year later

Fresh from my shower, I'd just applied my final swipe of mascara when my phone rang. I contemplated ignoring it, seeing as we would be a little late for our dinner reservation as is. Ranger and his oozing sex pheromones could be thanked for that. But in the end, I peeked at the screen and answered it. Morelli wouldn't be calling me on Valentine's Day unless it were dire.

"Joe, what's up?" I switched the call to speaker phone, so I could wrestle with my hair while we spoke.

"I screwed up, Cupcake, and I need your help."

Nine months ago, I would have hung up immediately, sure that was a line meant to try and guilt me into getting back together with him. My talk with Morelli after Ranger and I returned from the cruise had ended less than civilly. It had made for some really awkward encounters around town and at the station whenever I brought in a skip.

Then, about six months ago, something shifted. The genuine smiles returned to Morelli's face when he saw me, and he made an effort at small talk. He asked how Rex was doing after I inquired about Bob. I heard the rumors a few days later. He was dating Naomi Cawlins, a newly single-mom and respected RN at St. Francis. And if the Burg gossip could be believed, it was fairly serious.

Since then, Joe and I had fallen into a comfortable friendship. Much to my mother's horror. She still had trouble reconciling my relationship with Ranger. Between that and Grandma Mazur's blasé apology for her secret trip, she'd had spent the week following the cruise drunk as a skunk. We'd taken away the iron for her own safety.

"I hope this doesn't require bail money, because I'm running late for dinner as is."

Morelli laughed morosely. "I don't need help staying out of jail. I need help staying out of the doghouse. I totally forgot today was Valentine's Day."

I chuckled. Same old Morelli. "You're never going to get a reservation at this time of night."

"I know," Morelli shot back. "So, what do I do? Naomi got off work five minutes ago. She'll be over within half an hour."

Part of me wanted to let him sink or swim on his own. After all, I was pretty sure he never called anyone for advice on how to patch things up when he forgot anniversaries, holidays, and birthdays when we were dating. But the fact he was even reaching out, to me of all people, meant he cared for Naomi deeply. Perhaps more deeply than he had for me.

The thought stung a little, but I brushed it aside. I'd found the perfect partner in Ranger, I reminded myself.

"You have any candles?"

"I have air freshener I use when Bob gets gas."

Yep. Perfect partner in Ranger. Best of luck, Naomi.

"Okay. You said you had half an hour. Order pizza and spring for some salad and those garlic knot things. Then run out and buy some candles, a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne, and rent a couple DVDs from Redbox. That new Nicholas Sparks movie should be out."

On the other end, Morelli groaned.

"You want to stay out of the doghouse or not?" I countered before he could say a word. "Hopefully you can save your hairy ass with a nice romantic movie night. Set the table before she gets there. With real plates! Not paper. Put the flowers in a nice vase and scatter the candles around."

"My ass is not hairy."

"Not as I remember it."

Someone cleared their throat, and I jumped, blushing. Ranger leaned against the bathroom doorframe, dressed identically to last Valentine's Day in black dress pants and button-down shirt. He raised his eyebrows my way, amusement dancing behind his eyes.

"Look, Joe, I wish you luck, but I need to finish getting ready. The restaurant will give away our reservation."

"Where is Batman taking you?" he asked, just a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Le Rossignol."

Morelli gagged. "Enjoy your snails and duck liver. I think I'll stick with pizza and a chick flick."

I rolled my eyes so hard I got dizzy. "Enjoy yourself, Joe. Naomi is a lucky gal."

"Thanks, Cupcake. Ranger's pretty damn lucky too."

The line clicked dead. I looked up, meeting Ranger's intense gaze.

"Gotta say, I agree with Morelli. I am pretty damn lucky." He stalked toward me, eyes raking across my black thong and matching black lace bra.

I danced out of his reach. "We're late already."

"I suddenly see the appeal of pizza and movies," he returned, eyes nearly black.

Slipping into the closet, I pulled the red lace Reem Acra dress from its hanger. Everything Ella purchased for the cruise was intermixed with my other clothes in Ranger's closet. I'd been stunned when I'd walked in and seen everything hung neatly, shoes lining the floor, and realized it was mine to keep.

Shimmying into the dress, I adjusted the hem, stepped into a pair of stilettos, and gave myself a once over in the floor length mirror. Ranger stepped into view behind me, his arm snaking around my waist. It took me back in time. With an odd sense of déjà vu, I realized my vision had all but become a reality.

"You okay, Babe?" Ranger's arm tightened around me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

We weren't playing house anymore. This past year had been so effortless, so easy to fall into the rhythm of life with Ranger in it. Even though I'd never taken him up on the job offer, he never brought it up again. I knew the offer stood if I ever wanted to take it, but he allowed me to steer my own course.

It was something I didn't take for granted.

Glancing back at the mirror, the only thing preventing my vision from being complete were our hands. My ring was on the wrong finger, his totally bare. That, too, was an offer that sat in my court.

"I'm okay," I replied, heart beginning to race. I licked my lips. That future could be mine if I was brave enough to ask for it.

Ranger was the man God put on Earth to be my partner. Of that I was totally certain.

Before I could chicken out, I tugged the pearl ring off my right hand.

"Babe?" His eyes narrowed, face concerned.

I held the ring out to him. "I'm ready. Ask me."

His eyes immediately doubled in size when he caught my meaning. "Here, in our closet?" Amusement tinged his words.

"I can't guarantee I won't change my mind if you wait for somewhere more romantic."

"It would only take a day or two for me to get a proper ring."

"I like this ring," I returned hurriedly, heart beating in my ears.

Ranger's eyes roamed over me, sensing my rising panic. He took my trembling hands and pressed his lips to my knuckles. Then he sank to one knee, eyes never leaving mine. Anchoring me to him.

"Stephanie Plum, you are my world. You balance me in every way and make me a better man. Marry me?"

"Yes."

The words didn't make it past my tongue, but Ranger read the response on my lips. With a blinding grin, he slid the ring onto my left hand before rising. He pulled me into him, our lips melding together as my arms circled his neck. It was a few minutes later before either one of us remembered we had dinner reservations.

"Forget going out," Ranger whispered hoarsely into my ear. "We'll order pizza. And we'll eat it in bed, because that's where we'll be spending the rest of the night."

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7 Months Later

Anyone who says it requires at least a year to plan a wedding has never met a Burg housewife on a mission. Add in one meddling Cuban mama and, voila, huge Catholic wedding in six months flat.

Mostly, I was elated to see my mother and Ranger's mother so deliriously happy. Both had apparently written us off as lost causes long ago, so news of our engagement had turned the two women into fast bosom buddies. Ranger and I allowed them to do most, if not nearly all, of the wedding planning. Because secretly, we knew it didn't matter.

We'd eloped two months after he proposed and had been living clandestinely as husband and wife since. It had eliminated all the stress. Though, neither of us had the heart to rain on our mothers' parades. So here I was, secluded in a room in the basement of St. Boniface, staring at my reflection in a sleek white lace gown with a train a mile long.

Behind me, Val struggled to get Mary Alice to stand still long enough to zip up her junior bridesmaid gown. Both she and Angie looked entirely too grown up in the modestly cut burnt orange dresses. Lisa, in her white flower girl dress, played happily in the corner. All her rose petals already spilled on the carpet around her.

"But I don't want to hold his arm," Angie whined to my mother. "Boys are icky."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Angie was none to pleased with being paired with one of Ranger's nephews in the procession.

"You will hold his arm like a proper young lady," my mother returned, clearly at her wit's end. "And smile so the photographer gets some good pictures." She rounded on Mary Alice next. "And remember, young ladies walk down the aisle, they do not trot, canter, or gallop."

Through the floor, the organist transitioned into Ave Maria. It was our signal to start lining up. My mother paled.

"Alright, everyone. Positions!" Ranger's oldest sister, Celia, took charge. She had his personality and the God-given ability to lead without question. "Just like we practiced last night." Grabbing the box from the florist, she started passing out bouquets and shoving women out the door. Between Ranger's four sisters, Lula, Mary Lou, my nieces, and Val as my matron of honor, my wedding party felt more like a three-ring circus.

Finally, the room was empty except for me and Celia. She handed me a beautiful white cascade bouquet. I gripped it, painfully aware of my ringless fingers. I'd decided to keep my pearl ring as my wedding band, but Ranger had requested that I let him make one alteration to it. It was an exercise in trust, as I'd come to love the simplicity and symbolism of the piece. And while today would not be our first day as man and wife, it would be the first time he slipped this new ring on my finger.

"How you holding up?" Celia asked.

I grinned. "I'm good."

"Nervous?"

"Nope."

Celia shook her head, a knowing smile crossing her lips. "When did you two actually tie the knot?"

I had the grace to at least blush. "April," I confessed in a whisper. "But please don't tell your mom or mine."

Celia pantomimed zipping her lips. "Wish I'd thought of that when I got married."

She leaned in to give me a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. Out of all Ranger's sisters, Celia and I had bonded the most.

"You look beautiful, by the way. Already married or not, you're going to knock my brother's socks off when he sees you."

"Thanks."

We stepped out into the hallway and joined the line walking carefully up the steps. Celia darted forward to take her place near the front. Val scooped up my train and ensured I made it to the top of the stairs without incident.

My father waited at the top, beaming in his tuxedo. He gave me a hug and kiss as Val expertly spread my train out behind me.

"You're beautiful, sweetheart," he murmured, voice full of unexpected emotion.

It had been a rather awkward walk down the aisle with him at my first wedding. This time, it felt natural to take his proffered arm.

"I promise this is the last time I'll make you do this," I joked.

"I don't mind," he replied. "At least this time, I know I'm handing you off to a man who deserves you." He leaned toward me. "Don't tell your mother, but I was always rooting for Ranger. Damn good man."

I had no time to process my shock, because at that moment Val stepped around the corner and out of view on her way down the aisle. I was next. Two ushers shut the heavy wooden church doors, allowing me to shuffle into place unseen. The melody floating from inside switched to a fanfare, as the first strains of Wagner's Bridal Chorus rang out.

My father patted my hand reassuringly as the doors were thrown back open. I barely registered the pews filled with standing guests as I stepped forward in time with the music. My entire focus rested on the tuxedoed man standing just in front of the altar. Ranger's face glowed with his 200-watt smile, pure joy dancing behind his eyes as I neared.

"Gorgeous," Ranger mouthed as my father transferred my hands to his.

The priest began the ceremony, my mind paying only enough attention to reply when required. Otherwise, I lost myself in Ranger's eyes. Before I knew it, it was time for the rings. One of Ranger's nephews scurried forward with a satin pillow, and I sucked in a breath when I saw the change made to my ring.

Ranger scooped it up and followed the priest's prompts, sliding it onto my left ring finger with a soft, "With this ring, I thee wed."

The two pearls had become three. A new setting, bridging the gap between the white pearl and chocolate one, featured a large cream-colored pearl, the perfect blend of the original two. The symbolism was not lost on me, considering the reason there would only be sparkling grape juice in my champagne flute at the reception. I blinked back tears, moved beyond words.

After sliding an onyx titanium ring onto Ranger's finger, I poured every ounce of love into the kiss we shared. Pulling away, Ranger rested his forehead against mine as we shared a moment amid the cheers and hoots from our audience.

Hours later, as the reception wound down, Ranger and I finally found a moment to slip outside for some alone time. I caught him nod toward Tank, who closed the French doors behind us and took up a parade rest position in front of them.

Breathing in the cool September night air, I leaned against the railing of the deck that overlooked the large lake on the edge of the country club.

"How are you holding up?" Ranger asked, a hint of concern in his tone as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Exhausted, but that's to be expected, all things considered."

He nuzzled my neck. "We can go whenever you want. They'll keep partying without us." He lips skipped across my skin, following the neckline of the gown downward. "Besides, I can't have you too exhausted. I haven't had you all to myself yet."

The words ignited a warm fire in my belly. "In that case, what are we waiting for?"

I leaned back into him, kissing the side of his neck on the coattails of a contented sigh. His arms tightened around me, hands slipping over the lace until they rested on my still-flat abdomen. I covered them with my own.

"We're ticking the wants off your list rather quickly, Mr. Manoso."

The pregnancy had come as a complete surprise. The doctor had been unable to explain why my birth control had seemingly failed, other than to mumble the standard line about nothing being one-hundred-percent effective. Give it a few more months, and Ranger would get to feel those nudges.

"What about your wants, Mrs. Manoso? Am I meeting those?"

"Exceptionally well," I murmured, responding to the inuendo in his question. "That, in part, is how we find ourselves in this predicament," I teased.

A second passed. "You're truly happy, Steph?"

I spun, so that we were chest to chest. "Yes, of course! Scared shitless, but happy." We'd already discussed my trepidation about becoming a mother so soon.

Ranger chuckled. He stepped back and offered me his hand. "Remember when we cliff dived in Bermuda? I leaped with you then, Steph. This isn't any different."

I took his hand, and he twirled me into him, planting a sweet kiss on my lips.

"After seeing the wedding they put together, I'm a little concerned over what the baby shower will look like after we tell our mothers. Not to mention, they are going to do the math with the due date."

He grinned down at me. "We're in this new adventure together, Babe. Besides, what fun would life be if we didn't make a few waves?"

The End

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AN: Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed. Also, thank you to cornfedfiddler for her beta reading skills. You all should check out her Plum Sweet fic.

If you haven't already read them, I have two other complete HEA Babe fics: 'Hot and Bothered' and 'Blindsided.'

The pinterest page has been updated with what I envisioned as Steph's wedding dress. Sadly, I couldn't find a good picture of a three pearl ring that fit my mental picture, so you'll just have to use your imaginations on that.

No, there will not be a sequel to this fic. In fact, this may be my last fic. I recently signed a publication contract for an original romance novel I wrote, so that will be taking up much of my time. I hope to keep my fanfics posted, but will likely be in a legal gray area if I continue to write and post them. If you are interested in learning about my original romantic suspense novel, please visit my profile page for links to my website and social media pages. Thank you for reading!


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